You are the salt of the earth... You are the light of the world.
—Matthew 5:13–1What’s Ahead for the Family?
uthorities on the family would have us believe that we’re seeing “the decline of the
American family.” However, statistics don’t seem to support that affirmation. For
example, the divorce rate reached a peak in the early 1980s and has leveled off since that
time (see chapter 12). Though many are getting divorced today, Americans as a whole
have not given up on marriage and family. We continue to marry, although at a later age
(see chapter 3 and 5). Even those who have experienced a divorce are likely to try marriage
again, indicating they still believe in marriage (see chapter 12). Although abortion remains
high in America (see chapter 4), we continue to have children.
Many reasons contribute to the declining or stabilizing divorce rate. For the most part,
Americans marry at an older age. Many young people finish college first and establishEpilogue
The Future of the Family
A
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