Requirements for Marriage

According to an article in the Orlando Sentinel on November 16th, a bill has been introduced into Florida o peopleriage license before obtaining a marriage license (A12). David Whitley, a columnist for the Sentinel, wrote in his article, "Florida’s Healthy Marriage Guide Could Actually Help Sick Institution" (capitalization GWS):

Nobody wants to be told how to run their marriage. Especially if the people telling them are lawmakers who starch their underwear and might have an illicit romance or two.

But if it oo help at least few [sic; my opinion is that he intended to say "a few," GWS] people deal with a festering societal problem.

Of course, no couple wants to be told how to behave in their marriage—if we are talking compulsion. But many consider practical suggestions to be helpful. Those who are especially bad at marriage will probably be too stubborn to take advice. Certainly, those involved in adulterous relationships will not want to hear about being faithful to one’s mate.

Many have probably thought for a long time that there ought to be a test for marriage such as there is in order to drive a car. The problem is implementing such a practice and enforcing it, since marriage involves the privacy of one’s home. However, it cannot be denied that the institution of marriage has been wounded, perhaps even crippled—it needs medical attention.

But who is going to fix it? The government? Sure; they’ve done such a good job on welfare and other programs. Not. However, who else has the authority to compose marriage material? If the answer is, "Let a religious group do it," surely someone from the ACLU would object. Imagine someone citing Genesis 2:18-24 as a pattern for marriage. God created one woman for one man for life. No provision was made initially for divorce. Homosexuals would take exception to that passage. Most divorce lawyers would, too. Consider the irony of this dilemma. We want to stop the current custom of marriages ending in divorce, but we will outlaw as source material the Bible’s teachings which might reverse the trend, since it declares the authoritative will of God on the matter. Hmm.

In fact, one senator said that the task of teaching about marriage "needs to be handled in churches, not in the legislative body." True. But has the senator noticed church attendance is on the decline? Fewer and fewer people are attending worship with any regularity. And, in case the senator is unaware of it, many churches are not doing a very good job of teaching on the subject themselves.

The Plan

The current plan calls for the governor, the Speaker of the House, and the president of the Senate to appoint a six-person panel (two choices each) to write the guide. These would be "marriage education and family advocates" who would discuss things such as communication skills, conflict resolution, finances, and parenting skills. Moralizing would be held to a minimum.

Can the state actually do this? Probably—if it passes. Already those seeking a marriage license are required to read the Florida Family Law Handbook; however, there is no test on it. And neither would there be on the proposed marriage handbook.

So, what are we talking about? If the legislature passes it, the marriage booklet will provide suggestions for better marriages based on camouflaged principles from the Scriptures (but without quotes from the Bible) that no one will actually need to read or be quizzed on. It doesn’t sound as though it will lessen failed marriages much, does it? And then who will be in charge of future editions of the book? How do we know that, someday (depending on who controls the government of Florida), it will not actually recommend divorce?

"Chances Are"

Johnny Mathis sang the love song with the above title six decades ago. Divorce rates were considerably less back then. Now the state of Florida grants 77,000 divorces each year. But of all the statistics that can be cited relating to marriage and divorce, people might want to consider these: "Being part of a married family reduces a child’s probability of living in poverty by 82%." So, "Chances Are," if a child lives in a home that has been torn apart by divorce, his immediate economic future will suffer.

In fact, according to the article, "Boys born to single mothers have ‘higher truancy problems and are far more likely to drop out of school or commit serious crimes." The family works best as God designed it. Is the state the solution to everything wrong in society? No, Christianity is. What?

Can anyone doubt that all would be happier if people would follow what the Scriptures teach concerning the home? The only way to bring about the ideal is through the teaching of the gospel. The more people who obey the gospel, the more there will be who desire to have homes the way God designed them, since they will want to obey God in all things. Chances are that divorces would seldom occur, and the children’s financial future would have a brighter outlook. Christians must first and foremost set the example for others to follow and then teach the ways of the Lord to the whole world (Matt. 5:14-16).