The responsibility of parents extends beyond childbirth, of course. It isn’t enough to just have children; those children must be raised and educated properly.
God himself designed marriage as the vehicle by which “two become one flesh.” He made it clear that his desire was for human beings to “be fruitful and multiply.” And he devised a system in which there are two types of human beings — men and women, both created in his image and likeness – to accomplish this objective.
(Despite what some confused folks insist these days, the two types are still distinct.)
We don’t hear it said very much anymore, but procreation of children is the primary purpose of marriage.
The point of committing to this lifelong bond is not to form a special kind of friendship between a man and a woman. It’s not to provide a good way to live, through which we gain help, companionship, and the sharing of mutual interests. It’s not to promote social stability or encourage economic productiveness…
Marriage does accomplish all these things, and indeed they’re all good. But they’re not the primary purpose. Read more…
