Marriage idolatry may be one of the most concerning spiritual conditions of the church today. But this can be incredibly difficult for people to wrap their minds around because people see the elevation of marriage as a defense against the "attack on family values." It's important to realize that I'm not attacking marriage in this post. Instead, I'm attacking the throne upon which we've placed it. It's time we return marriage to its rightful place as a good thing, yes, but not ultimate.
As a side note, I've scattered a variety of different images throughout this post because I felt the need to better display the type of mindset that I'm talking about which currently proliferates in the church (all of these images are put out by Christians). This type of stuff isn't just a fringe ideology. It's the norm, and it's everywhere.
Also, marriage idolatry is closely connected to idolatry of the nuclear family in the church. If you're interested, check out this related article I wrote a few months ago:
The Scandal of Celibacy
Not surprisingly, the concept of lifelong celibacy scandalizes a world gripped by the aftermath of the sexual revolution. Celibate? For life? You’re kidding, right? So improbable does it seem to the modern ear, that celibacy gets blamed for everything from psychological disorders
to the sex abuse scandal in Catholicism, as if sexual abuse were uncommon in contexts where men are sexually active.
Such reactions are expected in a world of non-negotiable sexual activity. Sex is a non-option. We enjoy the perception of self-determination the way a child enjoys the choice to do his homework in crayon or in marker. The freedom to determine how he does it distracts the child from realizing that he actually has no choice but to do it.
Such is the world that we live in. We have no choice but to do it. Our freedom exists in the how but nothing else. Choosing a sexless life breaks the most important and all-encompassing but unspoken rule of sexual liberation. Sex is a must.
And lest you think I’m talking about the secular world, let me be clear. I’m talking about the church.
