We often think that June is the month of weddings and often refer to the “June Brides.” Surprisingly, June is not the most popular month for weddings; it’s No. 3. October is No. 1 and September is No. 2! Just in case you were wondering, January is the least popular month to be married.

We have codified marriage and divorce into our laws of the land. For centuries in our history, divorce was very difficult to obtain. In 1969, Gov. Ronald Reagan of California made what he later admitted was one of the biggest mistakes of his political life. Seeking to eliminate the strife and deception often associated with the legality of divorce, Reagan signed the nation’s first no-fault divorce bill. This has now spread to all 50 states.

Just from 1960 to 1980, the divorce rate more than doubled. This meant that fewer than 20% of couples who married in 1950 ended up divorced, while about 50% of couples who married in 1970 did.

It has only gotten worse. Our culture and legal system have continued to devalue marriage and redefine what it stands for. This has meant that churches have lost much of their moral authority to reinforce the marital vow.

To better understand the effects of all of these changes in our society we had a fascinating interview with Dr. Charmaine Yoest from the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Yoest, you are the vice president of the Institute for Family, Community and Opportunity at the Heritage Foundation. What does that entail?

Within the Institute for Family, Community and Opportunity, we have three different areas of research: domestic policy, education and civil society, and religious liberty. This includes working with a remarkable team of experts who research, write and speak on health care and welfare reform, school choice and higher ed financing issues, family formation; life issues like abortion and euthanasia; child welfare issues like adoption and foster care; women’s issues; religious liberty.

Wow! That covers a broad range of topics. What effects does marriage have on family and opportunity?

Decades of research on family formation and personal advancement have put beyond controversy the plain fact that marriage and a two-parent household is a pathway to thriving for the individual and more opportunity for children. For example, a 2014 study from researchers at Harvard and the University of California-Berkeley found that higher percentages of single parents in certain areas leads to significantly lower economic mobility. Getting married is part of what is described as “the success sequence” for young people. And for children, marriage decreases the probability of poverty by 82 percent.

What is the state of marriage in our country today? It appears we have devalued marriage over the last decades.

Since the 1960s, the marriage rate has fallen precipitously. The marriage rate has declined by approximately 50%, while the divorce rate doubled from 1960 to 1980 before leveling off. The median age for marriage for women is now just over 27 and over 30 for men. This means that both men and women are living alone for much longer periods of time than they used to.

What effects does divorce have on the family? Why should this be of concern to government? To the faith community?

The dramatic increase in divorce throughout the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s largely led to the retreat from marriage in the children of those broken unions. Sadly, these trends began from the safe place of a culture rooted in and buttressed by the married family. From that perspective, there wasn’t as great an understanding that we have now of how important the married family is to the individual, to children and also to the community.

Of course no story of societal change is ever simple. There are many factors that contributed, and one of these was the overall decline in community — as our entire nation became more mobile and moved more often, the bonds of extended family and community weakened, and the absence of the traditional supports that young families got from those institutions also undermined marriages. Understanding the loneliness and alienation that many young married couples and families feel today without the support of extended family and communities is essential for the faith community because there is a great need there for churches to fill.

The good news is this: We are seeing more pre-marital counseling and marriage counseling through churches. There are also some events scheduled that many couples may want to put on their calendar:

Moody Radio Spokane is sponsoring “The 5 Love Languages Marriage Conference” with Gary Chapman Sept. 14 at Calvary Church in Spokane. For more information go to moody.regfox.com.

Nov. 15-17 and Nov. 22-24 there will be “Weekend To Remember” at The Cd’A Resort. For more information go to familylife.com.

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As we move into this “marriage season,” we need to emphasize the importance of making every marriage rock solid. The state, churches, communities, educators and taxpayers all have a stake in the success of marriage. The lives and health of the next generation depend on it.

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Bob Shillingstad’s religion columns appear Saturdays in The Press. Contact Bob: [email protected]