On this morning’s edition of “Spiritual Cents,” I dove into the murky waters of sexuality economics, something most of my fellow social conservatives refuse to discuss. I did so out of the firm conviction that the current trajectory of marriage in America has wide-ranging implications for our culture and economy. For starters, an alarming number of young Americans have abandoned the concept of life-long marriage, a trend that has been brought about by decades of gender confusion policies. For far too long, American men have abdicated their responsibility as husband and father, while too many American women have been compelled to step-up and make-up for their misgivings. These trends are unacceptable.
Former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum, a man for whom I have the utmost respect, addressed this very subject in his book It Takes a Family. In a chapter discussing family policy, he stated that he believed the ultra-feminist movement in this country is trying to shame women who believe in staying at home with their children. Far from promoting equal employment opportunity, the feminist movement has now taken to attacking young American women who would elect to be stay at home mothers and wives. To me, this is an affront to women’s rights and liberty. While women have felt compelled to wade into the corporate arena, even if their family finances don’t necessitate it, men have been less inclined to step up to their own responsibility. This has led many men to conclude that they can prey on women, treating them as objects of sexual satisfaction rather than partners in life.
Think about it: there are now more women on American college campuses than men. This is a far cry from earlier decades, where men on campuses far outnumbered women. Some of this was the result of serious inequalities in women’s educational and employment opportunities, which required legitimate change. The problem, however, is that the feminist agenda became more aggressive than seeking equality, and started to seek dominance. The result has been predictable: women now outnumber men on the majority of American college campuses. This has profound implications for the family structure in our country, notably among college-educated professionals.
The limited number of eligible men on any given campus has shifted the economics of sexuality in favor of men, to the detriment of women. Sociological studies have concluded that men typically initiate dating relationships, but women control when those relationships become sexual. As such, as the ratio of men and women begins to overwhelmingly favor men, women lose. Why? Because, absent a strong Judeo-Christian commitment on the part of both parties, free-market principles apply to sexual practices (as aside from moral values, market forces determine sexual availability). In other words, when women compete for men (due to a shortage of supply), they are more willing to compromise their convictions to obtain them. This means that women are willing to enter into a sexual relationship with a man they hope to marry more quickly than ever before.
This means that men, as a group, do significantly less to win the heart of a woman. As such, the quality and character of many men has decreased substantially. Again, absent a firm commitment to a Judeo-Christian Worldview, men have no motivation to act the part of a gentleman, or to honor their commitment to a woman who has given herself to him. So, the sad irony is that, while many college-aged women are giving men sex at an ever-increasing rate (in hopes to obtain a husband), the level of commitment among men is falling.
This is leading our country further down the road of broken families and single-parent homes. Not only does this trend have far-reaching social implications, it has economic consequences as well. Government funded social programs are strained for lack of a cohesive family structure, and the incidence of divorce among those who do marry is staggering. If America wants a well ordered society and flourishing economy, reaffirming our national Judeo-Christian Values is a must. Otherwise, the economics of sexuality will continue to destroy the American home. I’m a free-market conservative in economic affairs, but, when it comes to sexuality and family, principles must trump the “profit” motive.
*Read my research article from World Magazine.
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