What Is The "Traditional Family", And How Is It Under Attack?

[J Bryson]

Again and again, usually whenever the subjects of gay marriage and gay adoption come up, there are those who will state that the concept of the "traditional family" is under attack in America.

I therefore have a few simple questions:

What is a "traditional family"?

How is it under attack? Use examples.

What do you suggest we do about the situation?

 

[ChristineES]

First, let me start by saying that I did not grow up in a traditional family: My parents divorced when I was about 4 or 5, I had a stepfather since I was 9, two stepsisters I did not live with. My sister was actually a half sister (And not the offspring of my stepfather).

I suppose a traditional family would be like Leave It To Beaver- Mom, Dad, with their natural children.

EDIT: This would mean that the traditional family is not very common.

 

[Watchmen]

From the LDS perspective, marriage was instituted by God from the Beginning and is part of His Plan for all his children to become like Him. God's marriage is between a man and woman (or women when specifically authorized by God). Allowing homosexual marriage perverts God's design and His Plan and the sacred institution he organized for our benefit.

Personally, I do not believe the civil marriages we have today are the same as the marriage God implemented. Indeed, I believe the only place to be married as God intended is in an LDS temple. So long as homosexual marriage does not threaten the LDS temple, I have no problem with civil marriages between homosexuals.

 

[J Bryson]

Hmm. So far the response from two Christians has been "It doesn't". Any other takers?

 

[Kurt31416]

Ethnic groups in the US that have strong family values always prosper. The stronger the family values, the more they prosper.

Those that prosper the least, have the weakest family values. For instance, black Americans, who's family values were destroyed by slavery and segregation.

That's what the traditional family and family values are.

 

[Aquitaine]

As fa as I see it, a "traditional family" should be:

Parent A,
Parent B,

Children.

That's it. I don't care what race, religion, or orientation the parents are, just aslong as they're "married" or "binded" in such a way, and the parents are capable of raising children, then I do not care.

However, what I do get annoyed at is that how many Governments have caused so much Economic damage to a society, that both parents have to work to survive. The way I see it is that only one parent should work, the other does Domestic duties etc etc, and they both raise the children whenever they can.

In many parts of the UK, it's pretty much normal to see a family with both parents working, and the kid sent off to Nursery - which leads to many bonding/social/discipline problems with the child(ren) if you ask me.

Hope that helped

 

[J Bryson]

As fa as I see it, a "traditional family" should be:

Parent A,
Parent B,

Children.

That's it. I don't care what race, religion, or orientation the parents are, just aslong as they're "married" or "binded" in such a way, and the parents are capable of raising children, then I do not care.

However, what I do get annoyed at is that how many Governments have caused so much Economic damage to a society, that both parents have to work to survive. The way I see it is that only one parent should work, the other does Domestic duties etc etc, and they both raise the children whenever they can.

In many parts of the UK, it's pretty much normal to see a family with both parents working, and the kid sent off to Nursery - which leads to many bonding/social/discipline problems with the child(ren) if you ask me.

Hope that helped

It did, thank you.

What you described is common in every part of the United States.

 

[elisheba]

The traditional family is grandparents, uncles and aunts,cousins,man.woman,and children living with or very near each other. We look at what most people are doing to decide what is normal. Why don't we look at what most people did in the past to see what is normal ? For example , most people covered their heads with something ( hat, scarf ) up until the 1960's in this country ( USA ).

seek the old paths and you will find rest for your souls
( the prophet Jeremiah )

 

[J Bryson]

The traditional family is grandparents, uncles and aunts,cousins,man.woman,and children living with or very near each other. We look at what most people are doing to decide what is normal. Why don't we look at what most people did in the past to see what is normal ? For example , most people covered their heads with something ( hat, scarf ) up until the 1960's in this country ( USA ).

seek the old paths and you will find rest for your souls
( the prophet Jeremiah )

We don't do that due to the fact that it simply didn't work in the long run. Would you prefer that women not have the vote, not be able to hold property, and be kept from speaking in church? That other ethnicities be held in bondage due to nothing more than their skin color? That children start work as soon as they are able to crawl through the shaft of a coal mine?

"Traditional" does not always equal "Good".

 

[Breathe]

I suppose the view of "traditional family" is "mama, papa and babies"; but I agree with Paul here, 100% - as long as they are committed to one another, age, sex, race, orientation are of no concern of mine. As long as they can care for the children, sounds good to me.

I suppose many who think it is under attack is because they're going to have to accept that two same-sex couples, or two who aren't married (gasp!) can actually care for and commit to children and raise them just as well as a traditional family.

 

[tomspug]

Honestly, if the traditional family has been under attack, then it was long ago when the divorce rates SOARED from their "traditional" rate. I would argue that if there IS a tradition, it would be a tradition of loving parents that aren't obsessed with money and security (and personal welfare) to the point where they fail in their biological duty to raise their children properly, no matter how hard it is to get by...

The way I see it, if you make the decision to have a kid, you do your job right or give the kid to someone who will. You gave up your right to personal freedom when you became a parent.

 

[J Bryson]

Okay, I'm getting a LOT of "It isn't", or "It is, but not from the whole gay marriage thing". I'm actually disappointed, as I was hoping that SOMEONE could give me a reasonable and sane argument regarding what a traditional family is, and how specifically it is in danger nowadays.

 

[Kurt31416]

Okay, I'm getting a LOT of "It isn't", or "It is, but not from the whole gay marriage thing". I'm actually disappointed, as I was hoping that SOMEONE could give me a reasonable and sane argument regarding what a traditional family is, and how specifically it is in danger nowadays.

I did.

 

[J Bryson]

I did.

I got the description of the traditional family, but no details on the attack against them nowadays.

 

[Kurt31416]

The attack comes from many quarters. It can be misguided laws and political correctness that caused 70% of current black kids growing up without a father in the house. Yes, we've come a long way against racial prejudice, but in the 1950's the traditional black family was stronger with a much higher percentage of fathers staying with their family.

The day African American family values are as strong as Jewish or Chinese American values is the day they are no longer down.

 

[J Bryson]

The attack comes from many quarters. It can be misguided laws and political correctness that caused 70% of current black kids growing up without a father in the house.

Interesting. How do you see "political correctness" and misguided laws as being responsible for this situation?

Yes, we've come a long way against racial prejudice, but in the 1950's the traditional black family was stronger with a much higher percentage of fathers staying with their family.

Agreed.

The day African American family values are as strong as Jewish or Chinese American values is the day they are no longer down.

I was speaking more of families in general. However, I'm not familiar with the Jewish and Chinese divorce rates, and I'm not sure how to rate the quality of their values. Could you elaborate?

 

[Kurt31416]

Interesting. How do you see "political correctness" and misguided laws as being responsible for this situation?

Well, any law that penalizes you financially because the father is in the house, such as welfare payments, or social security payments, or taxes, by example, rather obviously damages the family.

And pretending that it's all about white prejudice, and not black family values, like Bill Cosby and Reverend Manning point out is another example.

 

[Kurt31416]

I was speaking more of families in general. However, I'm not familiar with the Jewish and Chinese divorce rates, and I'm not sure how to rate the quality of their values. Could you elaborate?

Every ethnic group that has come to America with strong family values has prospered, no exception. The stronger the family values, the more they prosper. Is the divorce rate less in Jewish or Greek or Chinese families? Well, I'd guess that it is, but regardless the father doesn't abandon the children.

 

[J Bryson]

Well, any law that penalizes you financially because the father is in the house, such as welfare payments, or social security payments, or taxes, by example, rather obviously damages the family.

And pretending that it's all about white prejudice, and not black family values, like Bill Cosby and Reverend Manning point out is another example.

I believe that it's both. The culture of white privilege tends to place further pressure on African American communities. This leads to the breakup of said families. In turn, this reinforces the underlying belief among many whites that African Americans lack family values, which reinforces the privilege.

I agree that the laws you mention were unjust.

 

[Kurt31416]

There was a heck of a lot more white privilege in the 1950's and there were a lot more fathers staying with their kids.

Is there still white prejudice? You better believe it. Even those that support affirmative action etc. have plenty of people that in their hearts believe black people need the extra help becasue they are genetically inferior somehow. That prejudice on both sides is a big part of the problem, because it doesn't realize it's all about family values, not genetics, and lets the family values to continue to deteriorate.