Nation of Families

The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday is that the family is the basic unit of society. The family determines the strength of society and needs to be strengthened and protected. America was built by individuals who believed in marriage and the family. They were God-fearing people who read the Bible and came to America in order to live their religion without governmental interference. When the French writer, Alexis deTocqueville, came to America, he observed, "There is no country in the world where the tie of marriage is more respected than in America, or where conjugal happiness is more highly or worthily appreciated …. But when the American retires from the turmoil of public life to the bosom of his family, he finds in it the image of order and peace. There his pleasures are simple and natural, his joys are innocent and calm; and as he finds that an orderly life is the surest path to happiness, he accustoms himself easily to moderate his opinions as well as his tastes. While the European endeavors to forget his domestic troubles by agitating society, the American derives from his own home that love of order which he afterwards carries with him into public affairs" (Democracy in America, 1:315). America became a great nation because its citizens understood the importance of marriage and family. They understood that "Neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord." (1 Corinthians 11:11.) They understood that even though the husband acted as head of the home, both partners held equal status. They understood that the man was to protect the family and provide for the daily needs while the woman was to nurture the children and provide a wholesome environment for her family. The Proclamation on the Family proclaims, "… marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God. Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children…. The family is ordained of God." Because the family is the core unit of society, it is vital that individuals and communities as well as state and federal governments strengthen and protect families. When the family is threatened, the very foundation of society is also threatened. Ideas and quotes for this post came from W. Cleon Skousen in The Five Thousand Year Leap, pp. 199-204.