SEla_Kelly wrote:
But all the social customs surrounding "marriage", if not represented in the child of destiny born between one woman and one man, is like this myth "two souls becoming one", hyped up promulgations from roleplayers in society, who believe in the value of family, but still seeking to compell young adults into the shackles of financial commitment.
I agree that society has a skewed impression of the institution of marriage, and since it is a product of society I can understand how it can be abused. The so-called "rules" of marriage will change with the mores of society. When I was growing up it was considered permissible for a husband to spank his wife like a child if he felt it was necessary. Children were also considered to be in need of spanking to force them to conform to family concepts of right and wrong. Society has changed its views 180 degrees on this behavior. Patriarchy is no longer acceptable, therefore family dynamics have had to change as well. I think those dynamics are still in a state of flux today.
SEla_Kelly wrote:
But again, this model of "shrinking family size" means that small families need to "go out of their way" to help single child to understand family, in terms of neighbourhood, class, and what that actually means if child grow up in universal family.
I agree that the smaller family makes it more difficult for children to learn from one another and take responsibility for one another within the home. The state school system has taken over this role and I think it is unfortunate.
(625.9) 55:3.10 On these superb worlds the childbearing period is not greatly prolonged. It is not best for too many years to intervene between the ages of a family of children. When close together in age, children are able to contribute much more to their mutual training. And on these worlds they are magnificently trained by the competitive systems of keen striving in the advanced domains and divisions of diverse achievement in the mastery of truth, beauty, and goodness. Never fear but that even such glorified spheres present plenty of evil, real and potential, which is stimulative of the choosing between truth and error, good and evil, sin and righteousness.
(941.8 ) 84:7.27 In the present industrial and urban era the marriage institution is evolving along new economic lines. Family life has become more and more costly, while children, who used to be an asset, have become economic liabilities. But the security of civilization itself still rests on the growing willingness of one generation to invest in the welfare of the next and future generations. And any attempt to shift parental responsibility to state or church will prove suicidal to the welfare and advancement of civilization.