Page 124 - The Nightmare of Disbelief

Adherence to the Values of Religion
Strengthens Family Ties

A strong and successful social structure is based on fami-
lies with strong ties. The degeneration of society becomes in-
evitable once family ties disintegrate. Ideologies like commu-
nism, fascism or socialism, which rest on anti-religious
grounds, primarily target the family. There, the intention is to

eradicate institutions like marriage; and to erode such values as
the precious nature of motherhood, marital fidelity, privacy
and honor. Thus, philosophers and advocates of such ideolo-
gies present these values as worthless and empty. For instance,
living together without marriage was formerly totally rejected
by society while, today, it is regarded as commonplace.
Furthermore, the average age of people living together without
the bond of marriage is steadily decreasing.
Society's outlook upon marriage is generally flawed. Girls
often see marriage as a sort of life insurance. With this in mind,
their basic criterion is material wealth. At times, status, good

looks and environment also become important factors in the
122 decision to marry a man. Quite frequently, the most important
criterion is money and possessions. Not surprisingly, the soar-
ing divorce rates reveal the hollowness of marriages resting on
transient factors such as money, status or good-looks.
Another common threat to marriage is the expectations
men have of their spouses. Generally, an attractive wife is what
a man considers as a must for his marriage. A high level of ed-
ucation and the mastery of various skills also contribute to a

man's decision. Doubtless, there is nothing wrong in possess-
ing these "assets" which couples seek in one another. However,
if marriage, which should be based on concrete grounds, is

THE NIGHTMARE OF DISBELIEF