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Playing House

Bobby Bates

In our so-called "modern" era, it has become all too common for young couples to live together without the benefit of holy matrimony. Society calls it "shacking-up," but God calls it "fornication." Obviously, parents have not done a commendable job of training their children to respect God's Law regarding marriage.

The way society views America's sexual revolution, the way television and movies glorify it, and the way movie stars and other celebrities flaunt it, make it difficult to convince young couples that "shacking-up" is wrong. Experience and observation teach us that young people are imitators who tend to mimic the styles and life-styles of those whom they admire. when they constantly see adulterous relationships portrayed in a favorable light and being endorsed by the celebrities, they are encouraged to conform.

Besides violating God's Law, there are many other reasons couples should abstain from living together without marriage. Although pregnancies are not planned, they do occur. When it happens, this is when many unwed mothers find themselves having to deal with multiple problems alone. Those who chose not to add murder (abortion) to the sin of fornication usually have to turn to their parents for assistance. This is only the beginning of a host of problems the unwed mother must face the rest of her life.

Statistics show that about 80% of those who live together before marriage will end up in divorce. (Current Thoughts & Trends, Dec. 1999, p.9).

The woman in these unmarried relationships are more likely to suffer physical abuse from their male partners (Ibid.). The problem really has to do with the lack of respect the man feels for her because she did not think enough of herself to wait for marriage. If she does not respect herself, neither will he.

The women in these relationships are four times more likely to suffer depression than married women (Ibid.). Most of the women who move in with a man do so with the expectation it will develop into a marriage. However, the guys are in no hurry to marry because they have all the benefits of marriage without having to make a permanent commitment.