Jump in out-of-wedlock births disheartening
- Mar 24, 2009 - 4 -
The news of 4.3 million births in the United States in 2007—the highest birth rate in U.S. history—seems to be something to celebrate, and it is. However, this rate released by federal researchers last week was accompanied by depressing data as well.
On the upside, these 4.3 million births mean that the U.S. population is more than replacing itself. This is a healthy trend, one that stands in contrast to the declining populations of most advanced countries in the world.
However, the teen birth rate was up for the second year in a row. Most disturbing, births to unwed mothers reached an all-time high of about 40 percent. This continues a trend that began years ago. In 1957, five percent of births were to single mothers.
Researchers have noted that it is more acceptable for women to have babies without a husband, whether that be a co-habiting unmarried couple or single women, especially those in their in their 30s and 40s.
Cultural attitudes about abortion may also be part of the explanation. Abortion is less popular; giving birth is more popular. Other studies show abortion rates have been going down, which I believe is a direct result of the success of the pro-life movement.
No matter the reason, this 40 percent out-of-wedlock statistic is horrific. It bodes ill for the future of children who are born without a father in the home. According to the research study Why Marriage Matters:Twenty-Six Conclusions from the Social Sciences, a child without both parents in the home is much less likely to finish college, more likely to engage in criminal behavior, and is at a greater risk for child abuse and poverty. In fact, the greatest single contributing cause to poverty in America is single parenthood.
Children need a mother and a father.
We must do all we can to revalue true fatherhood and biblical marriage in our churches. Every church should be, among other things, a pro-marriage counterculture to the “anything goes” society in which we live.
The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission works to preserve the institution of marriage and the value of family in the lives of Americans. To learn more about these important issues, additional resources are available here. If your church is interested in purchasing bulletin inserts or other materials on marriage and family, please visit our online bookstore.
Further Learning
Learn more about: Family, Children, Parenting, Fathers
Comments are closed. Please use our contact form if you have any thoughts or questions.
comments
1 On Mar 25th, 2009, at 9:37am, Ursula wrote:
I am a single parent of a son and I can honestly say it was tough raising him. I feel that boys need that father guiduance because boys dont really open up to mothers as they would a male figure. Fortunately, I had God in my life to give me the wisdom to pray and help me raise my son. But you have those single mothers that dont know our Lord, so thats why its our responsibility in our churches to talk about this subject.
Thank God for this site and God bless those who are searching for truth and hope.
2 On Mar 25th, 2009, at 11:06am, EB wrote:
Recent studies have also shown that the number of teen births is on the rise again, which amounts for a good part of the number of new out-of-wedlock births.
There is a correlation (is not casuation) between the shift to abstinence-only education and the number of unplanned teen pregnancies. Abstinence-only methods are often taught to groups of teens who might not have the same examples of loving and responsible married parents we imagine we provide to our children, who we then hope will make responsible decisions about sex.
In a society where we simply have to face that people make mistakes, that we all sometimes (or even often) act like the humans we are, I think it’s time we were really honest with ourselves about which is worse: introducing the idea of preventative birth control or seeing the number of out of wedlock births continue to rise?
3 On Mar 25th, 2009, at 3:25pm, ERLC Staff wrote:
Hi EB,
Thanks for reading at ERLC.com and for taking the time to post your thoughts.
For what it’s worth, you may be interested to see this analysis of 21 different studies on the subject by The Heritage Foundation.
At the very least, it looks like the verdict is still out on the success/failure of abstinence programs.
4 On Mar 29th, 2009, at 9:20am, Brad B wrote:
So often overlooked in statistical studies on teen pregnancy are the emotional and spiritual effects of early and pre-marital sexual activity. Unplanned pregnancies and STDs are the unwelcome consequences on which our society focuses, making it easier to reduce the discussion to the relative effectiveness of condoms and the pill vs. abstinence instruction. As Christians, we must face the fact that avoiding these consequences does not validate sex outside of marriage.
Sexually active teens may not concern the larger society so long as they don’t strain the social welfare system or raise healthcare costs, but followers of Jesus must remember that these young people are harming themselves spritually and emotionally as they deviate from God’s intention for sex. The church alone can offer the forgiveness, restoration and healing that is found in Christ and this, in the end, is the only real answer.