Heavenly Marriage

Economies of Marriage

Man and woman and the institution of marriage that joins them were designed by God, and should be regarded as ideal forms. He made the wife about 15% smaller than the man. Among economic benefits of this coupled design is that personal care (food, clothing, etc.) of the woman is about 15% less expensive than that of the husband-provider. She also fits easily in his bed and bedroom and house. It may not be that two can live as cheaply as one (an old adage to encourage a man to enter the state of matrimony and fully bear the expense of a wife), but she surely is the lighter burden. In modern times of single women on their own, and women competing with men in the marketplace (instead of marrying), there are other rather striking economies afforded traditional married life. Only one (the husband- provider, not the wife) need bear the expense of higher education. Only one house and one car, not two of each, are needed for marrieds to participate in the economy and be covered by an employer. Viewing employers as obligated to full employment with livelihood covering all citizens, they must provide only one office or workplace to the family head, not two, as with singles. In essence, the singles model for society burdens the economy with twice the expense to cover everybody, vis. a vis. the marriage model.

In the singles-dominated Knowledge Age, the average college grad matriculates with a $30,000 debt to pay off. That used to be enough to buy a home in the U.S.A. Not only does a potential husband now have to wait 4 years or more to complete higher education, he also has to work awhile longer to liquidate education debts before getting a free & clear path to home ownership and tying the traditional matrimonial knot. Even more lamentable is the absence of career certainty with his elite higher education. The graduation job often dissolves to dislocation after 7 years. Furthermore, the traditional 40-year career now breaks up into about six job dislocations along the way. For marrieds and singles, many (30%) dislocate back to the birth-family home to regenerate. This is another way the economy tells us that there are too many workers chasing too few jobs. America is a highly advanced society, meaning most of the building work is already done. Remaining work has more to do with preservation (maintenance). We should reasonably expect fewer jobs and lower income. Working forefathers have given us a generous material inheritance to fairly distribute, and access to a lower cost of living (where you need less income to live well). Basic salutary adjustments to our present model might involve (1) not commercially working the woman (cuts workforce in half), and (2) working husband-providers on a shorter workweek. Trimming the economy down to labor potency that still covers all the Lambs of God will ultimately end inflation, unemployment, job dislocation, divorces, crime, etc.

Reviving traditional married life can heal much economic hardness. A good beginning involves marrying sooner. Christian marriage is supposed to be the safe harbor of love couples sail into immediately upon leaving their birth family. There is not supposed to be an intervening singles period for college, military service, finding oneself, playing the field, etc. Getting married first puts love first and God first. Society can afford to let this happen (God ultimately brings the lovers together). Many are ready for marriage in high school, and should be allowed to wed without having to forego a diploma. Men going on to college should not need an athletic or military scholarship to get there. They should be given a society-preserving family scholarship, so both husband and wife live and school together. God’s woman ever and always helps her man, so she can attend classes with him; record, transcribe, and type notes; prepare affordable in-home meals; help him prep for exams; take courses in marriage and family together; and crowd out stress and loneliness pitfalls (like binge drinking, drugs, or loose women). We are not smart if we educate without love, destroy family life and values, or disallow babies whenever God appoints their arrival. Let the man’s graduation certificate also honor his wife and children by name, the dearest party to it. Family is the unit of society in God’s Kingdom. Early to it, with recognition, produces a better man, woman, and child of future leadership, and a better nation. It is the best investment any nation can make, especially if it is in the Advanced Knowledge Age, where the mind rules. Failure to do so costs more in damages than implementation of any salutary marriage and education reform.

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