Two in Five Young Adults Think Marriage Is Outdated

A new survey commissioned by the Thriving Center of Psychology found that 41 percent of young American men and 52 percent of young women think marriage is a tradition that no longer matters. The poll was published in June and examined 906 adults from 18 to 42 years old. These were adults who were in a relationship but not married, and most of them said they were not interested in marriage because it was too expensive and not necessary for a committed relationship.

Sexual revolution: The real reason marriage rates are declining, however, is the sexual revolution that started in the 1960s. Most people engage in sexual activity outside of marriage. Social stigma minimized this type of behavior generations ago, but today it is socially acceptable to live with a romantic partner out of wedlock. Many couples are moving in together but avoiding the cost and commitments of matrimony.

Organized attack: The late Herbert W. Armstrong wrote in his July 1976 Plain Truth personal: “A solid family structure is the very foundation of any stable and permanent society. But today in the affluent countries a conspiracy is developing which seeks to destroy marriage as an institution, as well as the family. This is another decisive bit of evidence that this world’s civilization is definitely in the end time—the end of this world as we know it!”

At the time Mr. Armstrong wrote these words, there wasn’t any sensational dent in the number of marriages taking place. Yet today, after 60-plus years of liberal attacks, the traditional family is halfway down the path to extinction.

Learn more: Read Why Marriage—Soon Obsolete?