Today as I drove to work out and go to the grocery store, I was listening to one of the latest issue of
Mars Hill Audio Journal. One of the fascinating interviews was with
Alan Carlson about his book, Conjugal America. he made the point that the industrial revolution has so undermined marriage as a relationship both for economic gains and for procreation, that fighting the battle for marriage today is tough due in large part because we lost the battle for the definition of marriage decades ago. Once we had removed economic activity from the home, and split-up the family, we industrialized education, too, leaving only eating and cleaning as necessary home activities. And now, with the rise of housecleaners and fast food, we are cutting even those out of our routine. In the midst of this, Carlson claims, we have redefined marriage to be merely for the purpose of pleasure and companionship. When we do this, we have no good defense for keeping marriage from sliding even further. I found it fascinating and illuminating.
In my own state of New Mexico, we have a governor who is insistent in trying to look progressive and impress others with his ability to "lead" our state. One of the things he has been pushing for years is for a domestic partnership/redefinition of marriage bill, which is yet again before our legislative body (SB 12). So I have spent the last hour making phone calls and sending e-mails to legislators, trying to remind them that many of our freedoms are based on the rights of families as the building blocks of society. *Sigh* I must confess, I grow weary in fighting these battles.
And if you think we are not a culture of death, where our priorities are turned topsy-turvy, just look at our huge national financial bail-out, where large amounts of money are being given for contraceptives because children are really only a costly burden on society. (If you don't know what I'm referring to, see
here.) And look for some news coverage of the March for Life that happened last week. Even though 300,000 or so people marched on the capitol, not a single major news outlet even mentioned it. We only seem to care as a society about our right to self-satisfaction: our right to kill our babies if they are inconvenient, to kill our elders if they are a bother, to redefine and ignore anything that interferes with our pleasure. It is enough to make any godly person despair and wonder why God has not had enough of us yet and just blotted us out.
But God is patient, and we can trust His timing for both judgment and blessing. I am waiting on Him to bring honest revival to our land. Maranatha, Lord Jesus. Come quickly.
Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation."
For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water,
through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water.
But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.
The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
~2 Peter 3:3-9
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