Has our society improved with the help of statistics....I doubt it. In fact I think over-reliance on anything of intellectual nature with out seeing through the eyes of scripture really puts a damper on a society as a whole. Here is an interesting study that shows how our US government developed ways to set limits on the marriage age. Although I have studied statistics in college, I can faithfully say that extending the marriage age did not help our society at all. For one thing, from a Christian point of view, pre-marital relations increases because marriage ages are extended past the age of full physical development, and girls are pressured to enter colleges and become literal prostitutes all in the name of getting a "good" job and high paying career after college. She literally sacrifices her self to the god of money. Women are increasingly treated as objects for pleasure in marriage rather than as good housewives and mothers because the marriage age is extended. Career becomes first and family second. Not only are women increasingly pressured to put career first and family second, but her own children concieved (mostly out of wed-lock) are litterally swiped away before society even recognizes them via the birth control pill or abortion. Although the article states that later marriages promote better economies.....I would beg the author of the article to take back his point. His statements are false and very misleading. Reducing or eliminating the number of children born into a society because a women believes she may concieve in "sin" does not promote betterment in an economy. The American economy in and of it self is behind. A peasant with no debt living in a shack in Zimbobwae, and has 5 kids, is 10 x's richer than a person with 100's of thousands of dollars of debt and working 60 hour weeks at an industrial office cheating people out of their wages with a divorced husband and no kids. Sure the peasant in Zimbobwae doesn't have as much to give to the government and was married at the age of 14.....but at least she knows her future.
So what is the solution for the next generation? Number one, we need to be feeding our children the scriptures! Help them memorize key verses, understand the patterns of scripture in historical and spiritual context, and develop healthy habits of prayer and bible reading. Number two, keep our children close by our side from birth until marriage....that includes homeschooling (basic understanding of core-secular principles is all that is necessary) as non-optional in a Christian home. Number three, teach the patterns of courtship and encourage it, in order to keep their bodies physically accountable before the Lord. If your son or daughter has difficulty talking with the parents or spiritual leader of the person he or she wishes to marry then your son or daughter is not ready for marriage. Number four, keep your son or daughter occupied with household tasks and daily conversations with parents so that he or she is not tempted to join the band wagon of other teenagers who are leaving the accountability of marriage in the dust. Number five, give your son or daughter alternative means of receiving a free or cheap education that is not linked to the modern college atmosphere when he or she has passed the educational level of a high school senior. Number six, help your son or daughter learn ways to be financially responsible and giving to the church first and society second as a whole. Number seven, love your child and be with your child on a daily basis until God calls him or her to marriage. Remember God calls some people to singleness and that is OK ;) We as Christians need to stand firm in our faith and defend righteous in Christ.
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