Why become a Man (part 3)

In order to understand why one should get married, we must first go back to the original definition stated in part 2 of this series.

Marriage is a divine calling by God to a man and a woman to permanently unite as one to give life and care for children and to grow more into love with children and each other.

The core tenant of this is sacrificial love. Without this marriage doesn't have the maturing affects on men that women hope for. The problem is that sacrificial love has been scrubbed from society. It is "celebrated" in empty platitudes of well wishing and a "niceness" devoid of real content. Marriage for the spouses is about themselves, not each other. Even children are a commodity, rather than the goal of marriage.

The problem is that in order for sacrificial love to occur we need to know "why" we should be sacrificial and loving. Without God there is little objective reason to devote one's life to such a vocation.

But there is hope. We see signs of this knowledge, this truth, coming back into focus. I'm remined of Sarah Palin, mother of five and a devoted Christian (from all accounts). The vile and disgusting attacks on her person (apart from any legitimate criticism about her capacity for Vice President) show a culture that deep down knows that there is something really wrong with our current culture and our views, so much so that we must lash out against those who live out the real meaning of marriage.

But that Palin is a viable cadidate for the future of politics shows that a waking up of our culture is rising. One hopes that such people as her have the courage to lead our culture bakc to God and life.