A Indictment on Men

Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.
1 Peter 3:7 NKJV

It's a staggering statistic, yet one that is hardly surprising.  The divorce rate in these United States is somewhere around 40-50%  This should make everyone stand up and take notice, but it doesn't.  Somehow, we've come to the point where this is acceptable.  Where did we go wrong?  Has the bond of marriage somehow become a disposable commodity?  If we find we can't live with someone, we can just throw out those vows and start all over.  Excuse me for saying that I find this to be a scar on our society!  As a child of divorced parents, I know the pain that comes with growing up in a single parent household.  So, if you're someone who's thinking of divorcing your mate thinking there are no victims if you do, come talk to me.
I was talking with a friend of mine recently and the subject of the feminist movement came up in conversation.  One comment that he made got me to thinking.  Yes, the feminist movement of the 1960's was a game changer as far as society goes.  However, as men, we had it coming for a long time.  What?  Yes, that is what he said.  After our discussion, I tend to agree with him.  See, for far too many years, men had treated women as second class citizens and thought nothing of it.  The whole idea of marriage was for the man of the house to earn a living for the family while his wife served under him.  Now, that's not to say that each and every marriage relationship was like this, but a huge number were.  It just became a accepted part of society.  It's  no wonder that American women were so willing to throw off their aprons when the feminist movement took hold.  From a pure economic standpoint, a stay at home wife was a bonus for the husband.  He was free to do whatever he wanted, knowing full well that his duty bound wife was at home taking care of his business.  When my parents were divorced, my mother had to start from scratch as far as her career and employment were concerned.  Throughout their marriage, dad was totally against her working, that's just the way it was.  After their divorce, my mom was left alone to fend for herself while raising my brother and I.  Had my dad allowed my mom to develop a vocation and share the responsibility of raising the family, she might not have had such a difficult time, but that wasn't how things were done.
I've titled this a indictment on men simply because, as men, I feel that we've shirked our responsibilities as Godly husbands and fathers.  Like I said, I've seen the grass on the other side of that fence, and it's no better than the one we left behind.  What is it about sharing our marriages equally with our wives that injures our male pride so much?  That "Lord of my castle" behavior has done nothing but strain our relationships with our mates and families.  Most people look at the 50% divorce rate in our country and simply accept it as a symptom of modern society.  Most people look at the feminist movement and brush it off as an offshoot of the 1960's "Hippie movement."  I look at these events and see where we, as men, have dropped the ball.

'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.  Therefore what God has joined together, let not man seperate."
Mark 10: 7-9 NKJV

I recently asked my friend Dennis how it is that he and his lovely wife Shirley have managed to stay married for so many years.  I have to admit that his answer surprised me a bit, "There was no other option."  I wish that someone had told my dad that very same thing.

~Scott~