Process Philosophy on Family and Marriage Essay Example

Process philosophy has changed the way people go through their day. People went from thinking that everything was absolute to the process view that everything should change in order to make it more of a perfect life. “Life and existence are but a perpetual flux, a phenomenal flow, an endless stream, a chain of events, a process of becoming.” (Martin, Chapter 8, The Profound Shift From Absolute to Process Philosophy) The thought that everything would continue to change and change for the better became more appealing. Process philosophy has influenced family and marriage over time.

Family and marriage have been impacted by process philosophy in many ways. Christians believe marriage is between a man and a woman.  Marriage is a spiritual commitment between them and God for forever.  Christians believe that families are built on Christian values. They believe that they are raised in a Christ-centered home. 

Marriage used to be very sacred. Between a man and a woman. Divorce was not thought of. In today’s society many choose not to even marry, and if they do marry the majority end up in divorce. There is cheating and disrespect on both sides. Marriage is not valued. Sex is given away. “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.” (Hebrews 13:4, NIV)  State has legalized same sex marriage. I hear many women now saying that they do not want to get married because it is just a piece of paper and they do not want their husband to own them. 

A family is unable to grow and thrive if the government was to be involved. “Socialism is usually defined very superficially as, theoretically, a system in which the state owns and operates, whether directly or indirectly, all the means of production.” (Martin, Chapter 12, What is Socialism) A family in socialism would not have a say in what would be best for the family itself. Many parents today do not seem to be bothered that they ask their children how their day was, or what happened throughout the day, if they are mentally okay. Lives are so busy and materialistic anymore that many families don’t have time to even keep God in their lives and pray together. It seems many times the adults are more focused on making more money and not being involved with their families, much less being God centered in any way. There are also many people in today’s society the opposite of the overworked and would not seem to mind socialism. They don’t mind the government telling them what to do and what not to do. They don’t mind living off the system; not owning their home, getting financial assistance, or having the government tell them what they can and cannot do. They do not mind someone else taking care of their family.  

Our values with marriage and families have seemed to be taking a turn for the worst. The ones that hold fast their Christian values are looked at more as the outsiders. “If we reach the point of socialism, as China has, society will look for the state to decide “who will live with whom, how many children couples will have, and all other manner of decisions which belong, Biblically, to God and to those united in holy matrimony under God.” (Martin, Chapter 12, Marriage by Man’s Standard: Anarchy or Hierarchy?) The government has no place in our families or our marriages. Our marriages are a spiritual connection. We do not want to be told whom we are to have feelings for. We do not want to be told who we will married and how we will act with them. This is where socialism will take us to. It will dictate how many children we can have, if you may be a chosen couple to have children. Our families and our marriage should never be left for the government to dictate for us. These are things that as a Godly person, you ask God for direction, you love with all of your heart, and you chose the one that is put in your path by God, not the state. If God sees fit for us to have families, and if it is a personal free choice that we choose to make, then we have families. Freedom is not free, and many fight for this every day so that we may stay free.