Child & Family Advocacy W5

 Is Marriage an Outdated Tradition: Who would benefit from his ideas? Who would suffer? How do you know for sure? 

• What are the moral foundations of these two author's views on marriage? Are they drawing from all five (well, six) foundations? Are they focused on ethic of autonomy, community, or divinity?

It has been said that marriage was redefined long before same-sex marriage was legalized in 2015. When "no-fault" divorce swept the United States in the 1960's and 1970's, marriage no longer was a permanent institution. Of course, this was all in concert with the sexual revolution and the passing of Roe v Wade.

Cheap Sex and the Modern Mating Market: Gay men’s relationships are less likely to be sexually monogamous when compared with lesbian or heterosexual relationships, as Chapters 3 and 5 reinforce.17 Why? It is due to stable sex/gender differences in sex drive, relationship preferences, and permissiveness.

Here they connect multiple social issues in an effort to see how Millennials are much more likely to flourish financially if they follow the “success sequence”—getting at least a high school degree, working full-time, and marrying before having any children, in that order. Take a few minutes and browse through their charts and graphs.

We begin to wrap up by pondering and responding to these important questions:

• How does the readings on this page help you understand the demise of a healthy marriage culture?

It sounds like women are responsible for fatherlessness because they are the "gatekeepers"

• Who do you think pays a bigger price for these sex, mating, and marital trends? Children or adults? Why?
• If the government regulates certain behaviors (in other words, murder, theft, taxes) and not others, should they serve a regulatory function in promoting or discouraging any of the trends in the list above? How can they do this without limiting free will?
• What are the moral foundations of these two very different views on marriage? Are they both drawing from all five (well, six) foundations? Are they focused on ethic of autonomy, community, or divinity?

Russell M. Nelson (2008): "The importance of choice may be illustrated by a homespun concept that came to mind one day when I was shopping in a large retail store. I call it “patterns of the shopper.” As shopping is part of our daily life, these patterns may be familiar.

"Wise shoppers study their options thoroughly before they make a selection. They focus primarily on the quality and durability of a desired product. They want the very best. In contrast, some shoppers look for bargains, and others may splurge, only to learn later—much to their dismay—that their choice did not endure well. And sadly, there are those rare individuals who cast aside their personal integrity and steal what they want. We call them shoplifters.

"The patterns of the shopper may be applied to the topic of marriage. A couple in love can choose a marriage of the highest quality or a lesser type that will not endure. Or they can choose neither and brazenly steal what they want as “marital shoplifters.”

"Yeah, yeah, the family is under attack. I get it. Tell me something I don't know."

We humbly, but boldly declare, "You have no idea.".............this gave me goosebumps

1. What premises do you think those in the articles and videos are coming from? (Hint: think of The Righteous Mind)
2. What does the “new normal” mean to you, and how new is it when considering the history of this earth?

includes non-traditional families and same-sex marriage

1. It has taken mankind thousands of years to finally step away from the archaic definition of the traditional family and not only accept, but embrace, new structures of families. Why is that, and why do you think it is happening now?
2. Any other reactions of thoughts in regards to the videos or article?

Emily: marriage is beneficial 

Julia: the connection between fatherlessness and premature births cannot be proven

Emily: purity culture overcome that makes you a better advocate

Sharon: the difficulty of free will and consequences

Julia: success is harder outside of the "success sequence"

Emily: there will always be a "new normal" 

Sharon: "new normal" requires adjustment and adaptation

Julia: it takes time to adjust, have a hard time letting go

Ryan T. Anderson: "Neither Liberal Nor Libertarian: A Natural Law Approach to Social Justice and Economic Rights.”

LOOK INTO  When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment

Links to an external site. and Truth Overruled: The Future of Marriage and Religious FreedomLinks to an external site., and he is the co-author of What Is Marriage? Man and Woman: A DefenseLinks to an external site. and Debating Religious Liberty and Discrimination

Remember, in The Family: A Proclamation to the WorldLinks to an external site., we are called upon "to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society."  This raises the following questions:

·         What is the governments' role in doing all of this? (You will learn more in depth what the government's role is in supporting children and families later in the semester.)

·         What measures should we as disciples of Christ be promoting?

·         Is there a non-religious argument for promoting such measures, such as in the definition of marriage?

·         Does compassion require us to support same-sex marriage because we should honor other's agency and right to love?

·         In Chapter 1, Dr. Anderson wrote the following:

·         “Someone who wants to explain what marriage is has the difficult task of explaining something that every one of our grandparents simply took for granted, that everyone two generations ago thought was common knowledge—that marriage is a permanent, exclusive union of husband and wife. Much of human wisdom is tacit knowledge. Only when it is attacked does it need a formal, explicit defense. Explaining why marriage is the union of a man and a woman is like explaining why wheels are round, but it has to be done.”

·         As we learned in the Ecological Systems approach later in the semester, changes—especially major changes—in one system have a ripple effect across the others.

While studying chapter 2, answer the following in your journal:

·         What consequences to you are the most disconcerting? Why?

·         Do you think any of the consequences mentioned in the chapter are exaggerated or just plain false? Which ones?

·         Do you think the general public understands these consequences or simply writes them off as conspiracy theory?

·         "You're on the wrong side of history!" Is this true? How can you know for sure?

·         “My marriage doesn’t affect you!” What does this mean, and is it true?