The modern age has long seen a war against the family based on Enlightenment and statist premises. We now see it emerging from the Christian community.
More than four decades ago, in a retirement area, I saw its clear outlines among the elderly. Too many retired to build lovely homes designed for two people only. They were open in their desire to have no children or grandchildren visiting or staying overnight. But Dorothy and I both saw such people weep in their nursing home beds because none or few come to visit them. Of course, they had moved often hundreds of miles from their children; they had made them unwelcome in their new homes; now they felt sorry for themselves because they were neglected!
These were all good evangelicals, but their faith was a shallow one which placed appearances above true faith. One sickening event involved a kindly and wealthy man with an evil wife; retirement made life unbearable for him. Because divorce was “unthinkable,” he committed suicide, staging it as an accident. All his friends thought this a noble act — and continued to enjoy his wife’s hospitality.
