Marriage Under Fire

“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh” (KJV). With those twenty-two words, God announced the ordination of the family, long before He established the two other great human institutions, the church and the government. It has been the bedrock of culture in Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, South America, Australia, and even Antarctica. Given this unbroken continuity, one might begin to suspect that something mystical within human nature must be drawing the sexes together-not just for purposes of reproduction as with animals, but to satisfy an irrepressible longing for companionship, intimacy, and spiritual bonding. Indeed, how can it be doubted? Passion finds its fulfillment in the institution of marriage. In his latest book, Dr. James Dobson defends the sanctity of heterosexual marriage, presenting clearly defined reasons for it in the legal, financial, social, and emotional arenas. There are serious issues to be dealt with in culture and society, Dobson says, and Christians everywhere must rally to become a solid force now more than ever.