Just taking a look at the current divorce statistics will tell you one very important thing. Marriage vows are outdated, as unfortunate as that fact is. It is not the opinion of this writer that they should be; it is only stating a fact that it is apparent that they are. Well over half of all of those who vow to stay together “until death do them part” don’t make it even close to that time in their marriage. There are several reasons that the marriage vows have become outdated.
The primary reason that marriage vows are outdated today is that people themselves have changed, in most cases. There was a day that your word was your bond, so to speak, but that day seems to have passed. Today, people say things that they don’t really mean or they may mean them at the time, but aren’t overly bothered when they go back on what they’ve vowed to follow through on. In general, people have lost the self-value that they once had, which led them to value their promises.
The second reason that marriage vows have become outdated is that the importance and sanctity of God has been lost to many people today. They make vows before Him, along with their family and friends, yet break them without a true understanding or concern about it. This was once taken very seriously, but we have moved further and further from the sanctity of God as years have passed, another sad, yet true, statement.
The vows that once spoke of obeying and honoring a husband, as well as of a husband loving and taking care of his wife, have also taken a turn with time. Unconditional love seems to be an art form that many have failed to master and many women are offended by even the thought of having the word “obey” in their wedding vows. “Honor” may be a bit more acceptable, but still for some, this is not going to be wished for. Although it is proven that a wife does need love and a husband does need respect (one of the basic differences between the genders), there are many people who don’t want to commit to quite that much in their wedding vows any longer.
It is a very sad and disheartening fact that the marriage vows that were once held in such high regard are now outdated, a thing of the past. As we see them grow less and less important, we continue to see divorce rates increase, often tearing entire families apart by this tragic event.
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