Marriage is Foundational for the Furtherance of Society

We began this past Monday by taking a look at the institution of marriage (to read the post click here).  I compared the historically and universally accepted meaning of marriage to foundations that undergird houses and buildings.  The post was concluded with the following words,

These commonalities of marriage can be considered the foundational tenets of marriage.  If they are to be tampered with or redefined, then the institution of marriage itself will crumble and fall, as well as the society around it.     

Yesterday we considered the foundational importance of marriage to the well-being of society (to read this post click here).  We observed how the strength of marriages have such a tremendous impact upon the well-being of children, which then leads to either a positive or negative impact upon local communities, states, and our country. 

Today we will consider the foundational importance of marriage upon the furtherance of society.  I will briefly argue that we as citizens should strive for the protection and definition of marriage, not only because children – who are our future– need fathers and mothers, “but also because societies need babies” (Gallagher, pg. 16).  Commonsense tells us that societies which do not reproduce do not survive. 

Marriage: Its Foundational Importance

On August 9^th, 1173, construction began in Pisa, Italy on a building that is known today as The Leaning Tower of Pisa.  The original design for this 8 story tower was for it to stand vertically, and not leaning as it is today.  The reason that the tower is leaning is due to the meager three-meter foundation that was laid in weak subsoil (Wikipedia).  You see, the foundation of a building – whether it is for a house, tower, or office building – must be large enough to sustain the entirety of the structure. 

For foundations to be strong enough to support the structures erected over them, they need to be able to withstand erosion and damage, and they must be solid and not shift.  If extensive damage or shifting occurs, then the structure that is supported by them will ultimately fall.  

In the same way that foundations support and sustain structures, so too does marriage sustain and support societies.  To define marriage as anything other than its historical and universally accepted meaning would be to shift and weaken a societal foundation that must remain solid.  James Dobson, in Marriage Under Fire, said that “marriage represents the very foundation of human social order.  Everything of value sits on that base.  Institutions, governments, religious fervor, and the welfare of children are all dependent on its stability.  When it is weakened or undermined, the entire superstructure begins to wobble” (pg. 9).    

Since marriage (which also leads to the creation of families) is of such foundational importance, it is my desire to define what marriage is and why it is foundational for societies and their furtherance.