The Attack On The Family

[Rivers]

After listening to the last few General Conferences, I've noticed that the "Attack on the Family" is frequently brought up. The General Authorities seem to be saying that this is the most significant problem in the world today since the family unit such a vital part of our society. I've become intrigued by this idea lately. I am being sincere when I ask this. What precisely does the attack on the family entail? I've heard a lot of people interpret this to be a reference to same-sex marriage, but I have a hard time buying that. There's got to be a lot more to it. I'd like to understand this issue a little better since it is such a prominent theme in the discourses from our leaders.

Edited April 12, 2013 by Rivers

[thesometimesaint]

The biggest threats to the family have always been the education of women and economic reality.

[CV75]

After listening to the last few General Conferences, I've noticed that the "Attack on the Family" is frequently brought up. The General Authorities seem to be saying that this is the most significant problem in the world today since the family unit such a vital part of our society. I've become intrigued by this idea lately. I am being sincere when I ask this. What precisely does the attack on the family entail. I've heard a lot of people interpret this to be a reference to same-sex marriage, But I have a hard time buying that. There's got to be a lot more to it. I'd like to understand this issue a little better since it is such a prominent theme in the discourses from our leaders.

I take it to refer to those influences, conditions and other factors that facilitate 1) the erosion of marriage between a man and a woman (same-sex “marriage”, co-habitation of any kind, delaying and avoiding marriage, and divorce and its many causes), 2) the erosion of parental responsibility in nurturing, teaching, providing for and protecting children due to selfishness, sin, materialism, lack of preparedness, availability of publicly funded substitutes and so forth, 3) the personal isolation facilitated by technology, 4) over-complexity of any kind, 5) and 6) any sin, addiction, distraction or other behavior (whether originating with the perpetrator or manipulated by someone else for monetary or political gain) that substitutes and undermines loving family relationships. And certainly more than that!

The "attack" is exacerbated by the increased experience, sophistication and resources applied to the same weak spots over the centuries, without a corresponding change in human nature.

[Rivers]

The biggest threats to the family have always been the education of women and economic reality.

You're joking right?

Edited April 12, 2013 by Rivers

[CASteinman]

The biggest threats to the family have always been the education of women and economic reality.

Utterly bogus.

[CASteinman]

I think you have an excellent question. I believe that this actually merits study -- not merely for a board, and not merely in a Church context but as actual secular studies of the issues that are causing the family structures to start to unravel.

Having said that, I think that they are referring to:

Pride

Love of Wealth

Lack of Love and Emotional Maturity

Lost Natural Affections

Uncivility

Promiscuity

Pornography

"Disposability" of Children

Adultery

No Fault Divorce

Lack of Respect for Marriage

Societal lack of support for the Family Structure with Children

(including) Economic disincentives.

I don't think support of gay marriage is very related to this at all, but it is a sort of Keystone symptom of them. Or maybe you could say, it is sort of the canary in the mine. It is a sign rather than a cause.

Edited April 12, 2013 by CASteinman

[Damien the Leper]

The biggest threats to the family have always been the education of women and economic reality.

This was epic! I laughed so hard!

[CV75]

You're joking right?

Let’s not be so hasty / rash! Yes, men had the educational advantage for awhile, and did enough damage with it (2 Nephi 9:28-29; 3 Nephi 6:21—which brings the economics into it). And yes, economic realities do impact families when men, women and children give an unbalanced and disproportionate priority to material and not familial pursuits.

[cinepro]

What precisely does the attack on the family entail?

I think the first thing to do would be to understand what is meant by "family".

While many different configurations are acknowledged as the practical reality, I think Church leaders see "family" as the Married-Father-Mother-Children ideal, with the father providing for the family and the mother having the raising of the kids as her primary focus (i.e. eschewing any other obligations that would take inordinate amounts of time away from this task).

So anything that discourages people from achieving that ideal would be an "attack on the family".

In modern society, I think the increase in single-parent households is probably the most damaging "attack" on that ideal. Other arrangements that discourage people from getting married (for example, living together) would also be an "attack". Making divorce easy (legally and socially) could also be seen as an "attack".

[CASteinman]

I think the first thing to do would be to understand what is meant by "family".

While many different configurations are acknowledged as the practical reality, I think Church leaders see "family" as the Married-Father-Mother-Children ideal, with the father providing for the family and the mother having the raising of the kids as her primary focus (i.e. eschewing any other obligations that would take inordinate amounts of time away from this task).

So anything that discourages people from achieving that ideal would be an "attack on the family".

In modern society, I think the increase in single-parent households is probably the most damaging "attack" on that ideal. Other arrangements that discourage people from getting married (for example, living together) would also be an "attack". Making divorce easy (legally and socially) could also be seen as an "attack".

I like and agree with most of your analysis with one exception. I think single-parent homes are the result of the attacks -- not an attack in and of itself.

[CASteinman]

Let’s not be so hasty / rash! Yes, men had the educational advantage for awhile, and did enough damage with it (2 Nephi 9:28-29; 3 Nephi 6:21—which brings the economics into it). And yes, economic realities do impact families when men, women and children give an unbalanced and disproportionate priority to material and not familial pursuits.

Nah. he said the first biggest threat to the family is the education of women. Different from what you said.

[BlueDreams]

Personally....from what I've studied and seen here's my list:

Purpose of marriage (not just what constitutes a marriage but the purpose of marriage in general)

Increased divorce

decreased marriage level

increased out-of-wedlock birth

unstable households (what parents are in a household)

Status of women

Decreased emphasis on the household

Issues dealing with poverty

Materialism....general goals/priorities of people

Less emphasis on the household in governing and social structures

Health

War

etc.

All of these play a role in disruption in families.

With luv,

BD

[CASteinman]

War

Oh!..Good add. I left this out of my list and its an important factor. Huge. And its effects last for generations.

[BlueDreams]

You're joking right?

At least on women's education, I wouldn't take it too lightly as a joke....the overall status of women is a strong indicator of a nation's stability and affluence can be predicted by the security of women in the nation (see cool maps here). Women's education, especially in developing nations, also is linked to greater health of her family, better education for her children, higher income for the household, etc. Within developing circles it's been called the "Girl effect" and it's fairly well established that educating a girl has a strong multiplier effect. From the book Half the Sky, quoting UNDP: women's empowerment helps raise economic productivity and reduce infant mortality. It contributes to improved health and nutrition. It increases the chances of education for the next generation."

Here's a fun video for emphasis

[media=]

That stated, I would put education as a subcategory for women's status/gendered hierarchy in general. But it has effect on any society or cultural belief that women's education is less important

Lastly, in the Book of Mormon, you can chart out just how well the society was doing by how well they treated women in their cultures.

With luv,

BD

Edited April 12, 2013 by BlueDreams

[pmccombs1]

What precisely does the attack on the family entail?

The mature money economy. Georg Simmel laid it out in detail.

Let me also recommend Chesterton, Belloc, and Schumacher.

It turns out that fathers were removed from the household. Then Children. Now increasingly are mothers. We are beginning to see the consequences of this de-facto redefinition of the family. It turns out the war is mostly over; what we see now is its aftermath.

Whatever tends to divorce families from the household and community tend toward its ultimate destruction or degradation from a concrete good to an abstract one. Any system that attempts to supplant togetherness with second-bests (e.g. programs of structured family time) prevents the deep healing that is needed and is a purveyor of systemic evil.

[Ahab]

I think the first thing to do would be to understand what is meant by "family".

While many different configurations are acknowledged as the practical reality, I think Church leaders see "family" as the Married-Father-Mother-Children ideal, with the father providing for the family and the mother having the raising of the kids as her primary focus (i.e. eschewing any other obligations that would take inordinate amounts of time away from this task).

So anything that discourages people from achieving that ideal would be an "attack on the family".

In modern society, I think the increase in single-parent households is probably the most damaging "attack" on that ideal. Other arrangements that discourage people from getting married (for example, living together) would also be an "attack". Making divorce easy (legally and socially) could also be seen as an "attack".

Excellent point, and I think the first step too. I'd say the second step is to define WHO is attacking. It's not something that just happens all by itself, and rather than thinking of the different issues or weapons that are used I think it makes more sense to pinpoint it to a specific person or people who are doing the attacking.

So... Satan, for sure, but noI just him because there are also other people who do at least some of what he does.

And now it's time to go on to the 3rd step, I think, which would be to consider his overall purpose... and still not yet getting into thinking of the specific weapons he uses to try to achieve his purpose.

We all know that without the binding ties of the priesthood smaller family units will eventually go away, right? Our Father's family won't be destroyed, of course, meaning we'll all still be bound to our Father as his children because he already has the binding ties of the priesthood between him and all of his children, but what about the smaller family units each of us can develop ourselves, with our own spouse. The more he can downplay that by tring to plant the idea that binding tie isn't important, the more it will fall apart at its most basic level. Right? Everyone sees that as the focus of his efforts, I hope.

So now we can start talking about all the specific weapons, so to speak, that he uses to achieve that purpose. Things like planting seeds to try to get people to not accept the gospel, in the first place. And seeds to cause people to doubt it or reject it if they have already accepted it, at some level. Anything and everything he can think of to get people to not accept the binding ties that bind husband and wife together with their children. And not just him, by himself, but with him also trhying to get other people to join in his fight along with him, maybe not even being aware that they're helping him to achieve his purpose. Seeds to get people to think there are alternate life-styles that are equally acceptable as any other life-stye, even though they can't achieve all the same things the family, as it should be, is able to be.

It can help to get into more of the specifics, but to get at those we need to understand the general overall plan to begin with. An attack on the way a family should be, in it's perfection.

[CV75]

Nah. he said the first biggest threat to the family is the education of women. Different from what you said.

But when you have women getting off-track with education like men did and you double the damage. If you narrow that down to a deliberate anti-God or anti-religious bias to the education, the damage is further compounded. But I’ll let him speak for himself.

[CASteinman]

But when you have women getting off-track with education like men did and you double the damage. If you narrow that down to a deliberate anti-God or anti-religious bias to the education, the damage is further compounded. But I’ll let him speak for himself.

A problem with education in general is not the same thing as education of women being a problem.

[BlueDreams]

O man I need less books....I just figured out what TSS was saying. Gosh I hate finals and papers. Education may ruin my chances for family, but it's first going to take away my sense of humor.

[CASteinman]

O man I need less books....I just figured out what TSS was saying. Gosh I hate finals and papers. Education may ruin my chances for family, but it's first going to take away my sense of humor.

I have done everything I can to figure out what TSS is. I am lost.

[dgd]

I have done everything I can to figure out what TSS is. I am lost.

thesometimesaint?

[CASteinman]

thesometimesaint?

Oh yeah! Thanks. Now I actually get it.

[Rivers]

Thanks. These are some great insights.

[MormonMason]

Anything that lessens the value of the kind of family advocated in scripture and/or damages families is an attack on the family. These attacks come from many sources, all under the domain of Satan.

[Bill “Papa” Lee]

After listening to the last few General Conferences, I've noticed that the "Attack on the Family" is frequently brought up. The General Authorities seem to be saying that this is the most significant problem in the world today since the family unit such a vital part of our society. I've become intrigued by this idea lately. I am being sincere when I ask this. What precisely does the attack on the family entail? I've heard a lot of people interpret this to be a reference to same-sex marriage, but I have a hard time buying that. There's got to be a lot more to it. I'd like to understand this issue a little better since it is such a prominent theme in the discourses from our leaders.

Satan views it as "any means necessary" .