Commentary by Daniel Herbster
Last night my pastor gave a report on his recent mission trip to the poverty-stricken nation of Surinam in South America. During the presentation, he happened to mention how the practice of slavery hundreds of years ago has drastically affected the institution of marriage in that land, even to this day.
Apparently, when European colonial powers brought African slaves to Surinam, male slaves were dehumanized to such an extent that they were merely used for breeding purposes without ever being able to behave like actual fathers. This has led to a matriarchal culture where single women are left to raise the nation’s children alone while marriage is often considered unnecessary.
This is sobering evidence of how cultural decisions can have drastic effects on the institution of marriage, and how the deterioration of the family can prevent nations from achieving their full potential. We in America should redouble our efforts to protect marriage by encouraging stable, two-parent families and by protecting the traditional definition of marriage.