focusing only on the here and now ? When a culture fails to restrain its sexual instincts , people think less about securing the future and instead compromise the stability , productivity , and the well-being of the next generation in the pursuit of sexual pleasure .
Unwin claims that he had no moral or ideological axe to grind in this research . “ I make no opinion about rightness or wrongness ,” he wrote . 2 But his work is nevertheless profound , as are his conclusions , which we seem to be living out in real time .
According to Pew Research , almost 90 % of children lived with two married parents in 1960 . 3 By 2008 that number had dropped to just 64 %. Over the same period , the percentage of kids born to unmarried women rose from 5 % to 41 %. There is really no question of how this impacts children . Studies show that teens from single-parent or blended families are 300 % more likely to need psychological assistance , twice as likely to drop out of high school , and more likely to commit suicide . 4 They end up with less college education and lower-paying jobs than their parents and are more likely to get divorced themselves .
This is not because children from non-traditional homes have less potential or less value . Nor do stable two-parent families guarantee outcomes for children . Statistics do not determine the future of an individual , but they can identify the future of a society . On a civilizational level , the future is a matter of math .
The early days of the sexual revolution reframed the morality of sexual behavior , but today it ’ s gone further , undermining the already fragile identity in the rising generation , fraying it in the various directions of the evergrowing acronym of sexual identities . Anywhere from 1 in 5 to nearly 40 % of young people identify as LGBTQ today . 5 Or , in the case of one junior high class in the Northeast I heard of recently , “ all of them do .”
Christian faithfulness in this cultural moment must involve the protection of children and a commitment to the future of society . At the very least , that means speaking up , especially when it is unpopular to do so . Along the way , we will have to reject the “ inevitability thesis ,” the notion that all is lost and that things will only get worse so nothing we do matters . With courage and unconditional love for our neighbor , we continue to speak the truth .
And we will need to remind ourselves and each other of something that should be obvious but is not : The ideas and behavior of the late sexual revolution are not normal . Nor is our fascination and focus on sexuality as the central defining factor in human existence and value .
Human sexuality is not some arbitrary construct like a speed limit . It is as much a part of the fabric of life as gravity . We may deny that , but we will not avoid the pain of hitting the ground if we do . ■
John Stonestreet serves as president of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview . He ’ s a sought-after author and speaker on areas of faith and culture , theology , worldview , education , and apologetics . John is the daily voice of BreakPoint , the nationally syndicated commentary on the culture founded by the late Chuck Colson . He is also the voice of The Point , a daily one-minute feature on worldview , apologetics , and cultural issues .
Kasey Leander is a Breakpoint Contributor at the Colson Center for Christian Worldview . He holds a BA in History and PPE ( Politics , Philosophy , and Economics ) from Taylor University and a Certificate in Theological Studies from Oxford University .
ENDNOTES 1 . R . J . Rushdoony , “ Symposium on the Family ( JCR Vol . 04 No . 02 ),” Google Books , https :// bit . ly / SymposiumOnTheFamilyGoogleBooks . 2 . Philip Yancey , “ The Lost Sex Study ,” Christianity Today , December 12 , 1994 , https :// bit . ly / TheLostSexStudy . 3 . “ The Decline of Marriage and Rise of New Families ,” Pew Research Center , November 18 , 2010 , https :// pewrsr . ch / 3BheALT . 4 . Jason Crowley , “ The Psychological Effects of Divorce on Children ( and How to Help Them Cope ),” Survive Divorce , July 10 , 2022 , https :// survivedivorce . com / divorceeffects-children . 5 . Paul Bond , “ Nearly 40 Percent of U . S . Gen Zs , 30 Percent of Young Christians Identify as LGBTQ , Poll Shows ,” Newsweek , October 20 , 2021 , https :// bit . ly / 40percentgenz .
“ Christian faithfulness in this cultural moment must involve the protection of children and a commitment to the future of society .”
© 2022 by the Colson Center for Christian Worldview . Reprinted from Breakpoint . org with permission .
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