Society's Most Important Unit - The Family

The Family - Part 1

No doubt the family is the pillar of every community. Years ago in Industry, a small East Coast Demerara village, Haitram Samaroo the pastor of the local Assembly of God church, used to emphasize the importance of the family for a wholesome, safe and prosperous society. Gesturing with his hands in the air for emphasis he used to say, "God created the family. It is the smallest and most important unit in every society. When the family breaks down, the whole society breaks down!" He was right!

Today after more than twenty years this maxim still holds true. Our psychologists and social commentators have come to realized that the family is the cement that holds our society together and makes it a safe, progressive, prosperous and a well developed place that we can all enjoy a better life in.

What is the definition of the word "family"? The New Collins Concise English Dictionary defines the family as "a primary social group consisting of parents and their offspring." In Cummings Lodge High School in the Social Studies class, I learnt among the different types of family that the "nuclear family" "consist of a man, his wife and children." My own concept of the family is that God intended for a man, his wife and children to live as a unit. The role of the husband would be to "love, cherish, protect and provide for his wife and kids." The role of the wife would be to "to love, obey and care for the husband and kids." In today's modern world where many of these roles has been reversed if not obliterated and where in order to survive the wife has to work also, it is difficult to fulfill these spousal reponsibilities. However the roles can be fulfilled if sacrifices are made in the spirit of love, understanding and compromises. The strong solid surviving families today knows this fully well.

What else is reponsible for the breakdown of the family unit? And why has the family been targeted so heavily till it has reached the point of annilhilation? What can be done to revive family units, family values and family cultures? Many of the answers to these questions are very controversial, however we can still look at some of them.

The culture of feminism has taken away the dependency of women on men. An independent woman feels she has little if any need for a man in her life. So not only a new culture of singleness is propagated but an easy separation of husband and wife for any little conflict these days. I am not sure if this culture of feminism has also allowed for lesbinism and gay practices to creep into our society and has resulted in even a further obliteration of the family unit as we had known it to be.

Lack of family time can be a major factor in the breakdown of a family unit. Many of us are guilty of being too busy to spend time with our family regularly. Family time we know build bonds that strenghtens relationships. More time together stronger the bond.

Casual sex might be a major contributor to the destruction of the family. The hypocrisy behind casual sex is that it is okay, yet none of the propogators of this theory wants his or her spouse to have sex with another person. Adultery is in direct contravention of God's command. Fornication makes it easier for a promiscous life style. Faithfulness has been the pillar of solid families.

This is all for now. To be con't'd.