The following was posed as a Question From A Friend, and deals with Arranged Marriages.
Question From A Friend: ARRANGED MARRIAGES! The more and more I think about it, I am a strong advocate of arranged marriages. Why? I want my daughters to marry into families that share the same godly values, share the same culture, religion, and language, and a similar socio-economic class. These identical factors would help make communication between the two individuals easier and help them understand their origins, carrying these values through generations. Although differences are necessary, when both individuals have a common core foundation in these areas, there would be more chances that the marriage would be successful and the risk of divorce would be lowered, creating a strong nuclear family. Yes, it is counter-cultural in our society, but certainly worthy of consideration. Would you consider this for your children? Why or why not?
My $.02: I've thought about arranged marriages, and I've come to a conclusion: Arranged Marriages are necessary. Why are arranged marriages necessary? Because it's hard to find someone who shares the same religion & culture, godly values, language and socio-economic class. Although differences are necessary, too much difference is bound to terminate the marriage because the couple has nothing in common. I come from a two-parent home (as do most people) and I think about those who come from divorced backgrounds. A woman that hasn't had a father in her life would have a tough time relating to her husband, because she wouldn't be able to understand how a man feels, and thinks. Being able to relate to your spouse is paramount to marital bliss. The same applies to men; Men who haven't had a mother in their life (either she's a deadbeat or passed early on in childhood) wouldn't understand women because he hasn't had anyone to teach him how women think & feel. It's no secret that two-parent households produce well-adjusted children, because those children are able to witness their parents interacting with each other; showing them how a loving couple behaves. Children who witness loving relations between parents are likely to emulate that in their own committed relationships with their spouses. Arranged marriages wouldn't be a bad idea, as divorce would almost be exterminated. When both individuals have a common core foundation, arranged marriages have a higher success rate because both man & woman would be on the same page. I would consider an arranged marriage for my child(ren), if I got to know my child(ren)'s mate, and both families were on the same page. Looking throughout the Bible, I realize that arranged marriages were the norm; there was no courting involved. Going further, arranged marriages can seem forced, because in a sense, a parent is picking their child's husband and/or wife. Let the child grow up to make up his/her mind as to who they want to marry. As long as parents raise their child(ren) under sound doctrine, then that child will make good choices in life. Looking at the divorce rate, it's safe to say that many people aren't making sound decisions in who they marry. If you've known someone since childhood, there's a big advantage of knowing them as a person because you two grew up together. That's where the arranged marriage concept comes from, growing up with someone of similar background & mindset.
