In 1960 the neighborhood, any U.S. neighborhood, was scandalized to hear of couples who were living together as man and wife without having the commitment of marriage to sanctify, solidify and stabilize their relationship. They were recognized as living in adultery and no one, not even those involved, argued whether it was right or wrong.
Even those who did not have much respect for the Bible in other ways accepted biblical teaching on adultery as true and important to the concept of family. It was hard to argue with the plain Old Testament commandment, “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” In Exodus 20:14, or such New Testament teaching as Hebrews 13:4 “Let marriage be had in honor among all, and let the bed be undefiled: for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.” Or, the sobering “But for the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part shall be in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death.”
The year 1960 was barely before the SEXUAL REVOLUTION. It was ushering in a time when the hippies were advocating, “Make love not war.” An era pop song was advising, “If you can’t be with the one you love, love the one your with.” This was anti-god, but few cared. The “me” generation was bent on instant gratification. In the days that followed 1960, the movies, television, media articles, and escalating examples convinced America that “Everybody is doing it.” And the trickle through the tiny hole in the dam eroded into a collapse.
A comparison of census figures shows that in 1960 there were 439,000 unwed couples living together in the U.S.—that’s 878,000 individuals. In 1997 there were 4,130,000 unwed couples living in the U.S. as husband and wife—that’s 8,260,000 people! Satanic plans are succeeding!
It would be criminally naïve to suppose that is all the adultery and fornication going on. There is the cheating. There is the singles scene with the one-night stands. There is the homosexuality. And, the Bible still teaches what it did in 1960 – and all other years in all other centuries for that matter – “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” “Their part shall be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone.”
Besides the spiritual effect on the individuals is the devastation dealt the innocent children produced and the effect on a nation where the stable home is a key to survival.
Edward Gibbon wrote and published the 5 volume set of “The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire in 1774 -1778. In it, a major reason given for the fall of Rome was a disregard for the sanctity of marriage.
We are in denial in this country. We disregard the wisdom of the Bible. We disregard the lessons of history. We abandon common sense. Just don’t tell me, “The reason America stands is because we are such a righteous nation!”
