SocietyWatch
British PM: How to make society ‘stronger’
British Prime Minister David Cameron has an idea of what will strengthen a fragmenting British society. In his view, on March 29 the nation gained help in “growing stronger socially” by legalizing same-sex “marriage.”
“When people’s love is divided by law, it is the law that needs to change,” Mr. Cameron wrote in an article for homosexual news website Pink News. “Together we should be proud to live in a country judged to be the best place to live in Europe if you are lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans.”
Mr. Cameron previously said he wants Britain to “export” homosexual “marriage” and “take it around the world.”
British leaders across politics and society have been proud of the change in the law. The media were full of euphoric articles. The feeling among the general public was more one of indifference. There was little real opposition to the bill because no one really cared.
Among the British today, politicians stir up a lot of emotion when they fiddle with child care or education. But fiddle with family? No one really minds.
Apathetic as the public may be about legalizing same-sex “marriage” though, Mr. Cameron is quite stirred up about it.
One theme has cropped up repeatedly in Cameron’s speeches, especially in his early speeches before he became prime minister: the power of marriage and family. He appears genuinely convinced that strong marriages make for a strong nation. In his view, marriage is about commitment and responsibility. And to him, the gender of those getting married makes no difference.
That thinking is not in line with the view of the one who created and designed marriage and family life: God.
British leaders are wrong to be enthusiastic about this change; the British public is wrong to be indifferent.
God created marriage between man and woman, and not only as a way to provide a stable relationship for bringing up children. Marriage is designed to help all mankind grasp profound spiritual truths. God says in His Word that He is a Father. The Bible describes God’s Church as a mother. What some dismiss as outdated gender roles are in fact at the heart of the gospel.
Britain’s leaders are so proud of their own tolerance, their own views of virtue and morality, that they will not listen to any arguments or evidence that they may be wrong on this subject. For those willing to honestly examine what God says about this issue, the Bible warns clearly that same-sex “marriage” will not help society grow stronger—but will do the opposite.
As more and more religious leaders argue that the Bible contains no prohibition on homosexual “marriage,” it is becoming increasingly difficult for one honestly searching for the Bible’s perspective on homosexuality to find the truth. Even many church leaders who recognize that homosexuality is condemned in the Bible do not fully understand why.
We recently produced a booklet called Redefining Family that clearly explains why. It gives God’s full view on the subject. Like all of our literature, you can order a copy for free.
In one in five families, no one works
One fifth of U.S. families in 2013 did not have a single person working, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (bls). That means over 16 million families in America did not include a single person with a job. According to the bls, these people were either unemployed or not in the labor force. A person is considered “not in the labor force” if he or she does not have a job and is not actively seeking one. This number includes both discouraged workers and elderly people who are retired.
These shockingly high numbers jumped in 2009 during the economic crisis and reached a high of 20.2 percent in 2011. It leveled off at 20 percent in 2012 and 2013.
Additionally, according to the bls, the labor force participation rate plummeted to 62.8 percent in April—a 35-year low. The participation rate measures the percentage of all working-age people who have a job or are actively seeking one. An astounding 806,000 people left the workforce in that month alone.
That these numbers are so high five years after the economy imploded in 2008 shows how ethereal the “recovery” has been for many Americans. The Affordable Care Act and discussions about raising the minimum wage—two policies that make it more costly to hire workers—will work to entrench this disturbing trend.
