Mark Gungor: Love, marriage and stinking thinking

[LaMandaRaye]

I came across Mark Gungor's show, called "Love marriage and Stinking Thinking" he was talking about how he is not pleased with how society seems to be against ppl as young as 18, 19, 20 years old getting married, and he thinks that if Christian society becomes more open minded to their children getting married at a younger age, than young peoople will learn to be more responsible.

I for one, did not like him, even though he claims that he is not judgemental to those who are not married by 25, he still judges them. He says that all of his children got married by 18, 19, and if you are not married by 21 in his family something is wrong with you. I am glad I am not in his family.

He thought it was laughable that men as old as 50 something had young children, and that by that age you should be finished with raising children.


here is his website

http://www.lovemarriageandstinkingthinking.com/stinking-thinking/dont-marry-too-young-part-1/

I just didn't like his attitude and he made ppl like me who are still single and will probably be for awhile seem less significant to society

 

[Luther073082]

This is part of a culture within the church that pushes people to get married as soon as they finish school if not before.

Fact is statistically speaking, getting married before you are 20 turns out to be a mistake for the vast majority of people who do it. Do I judge people who do it? Well I guess you could say I am. I think they are more often then not making a big mistake and in a rush to do something which they have not properly considered the consequences.

Personally I think he has is order of things reversed. We shouldn't encourage people at that age to get married in order that they will grow up (be responsible). We should encourage people of that age to grow up (be responsible) before they get married.

But personally I don't think we should apply any kind of social pressure on people to get married young. Young people are too easy to influence, they make more mistakes based on inexperience, they are idealistic and belive everything will be easier then it really is. And thats nothing against them, its always been that way. Thats how I was. We don't need to see to it that one of those mistakes is their marriage.

 

[mina]

weird- I've come to think that most Christians will judge you no matter what age you are when you get into a relationship. Everyone will have something to say on what they think about your life.
I've felt the judgment for being single this long. I'm too independant, not indepentant enough, i'm ugly, i'm too pretty i'm intimidating, there's something wrong with me, i'm not pleasing to God so He isn't blessing me and if i would just stop sinning then i'd meet the one, i want to get married too much, i don't want it enough, blah blah blah and the list could go on and on. I always get the feeling that most people (married or not) don't know much about singleness or marriage and just slap you with something that sounds good and spiritual. But they really don't know. I don't think singleness after a certian age is a sign of sinfulness on your part or that God is displeased with you or that you will never get married so to be a good christian you should stop hoping or even praying about it. Christians need to get close to God and listen to what He is saying to them and their situation. No one can tell another person the judgement of why they are single or what age they will marry and still be considered a valuable Christian. This person sounds very small minded and small hearted. As for older people raising children, the Bible is filled with people who had and raised children in their older years. Even someone like Hannah, didn't have children when it was expected for her to have them. Peniah laughed and treated her ill, but in the end God blessed her with such a child (Samuel), and not just him but like 7 more children. I don't think anyone can speak for God at what age each person should marry or have and raise children. It sounds sorta cultish and controlling.

 

[LaMandaRaye]

This is part of a culture within the church that pushes people to get married as soon as they finish school if not before.

Fact is statistically speaking, getting married before you are 20 turns out to be a mistake for the vast majority of people who do it. Do I judge people who do it? Well I guess you could say I am. I think they are more often then not making a big mistake and in a rush to do something which they have not properly considered the consequences.

Personally I think he has is order of things reversed. We shouldn't encourage people at that age to get married in order that they will grow up (be responsible). We should encourage people of that age to grow up (be responsible) before they get married.

But personally I don't think we should apply any kind of social pressure on people to get married young. Young people are too easy to influence, they make more mistakes based on inexperience, they are idealistic and belive everything will be easier then it really is. And thats nothing against them, its always been that way. Thats how I was. We don't need to see to it that one of those mistakes is their marriage.

You eleoquently said everything I was thinking.

 

[lozzie]

When you're single people may wonder why you're not dating, when you're dating people ask why you aren't engaged yet, and when you're married people ask why you haven't had kids yet.

 

[Tamara224]

So... like this guy is trying to be a Christian Dave Letterman or something?

Lame. (IMHO)


That being said... I do think he has some good points.

Let me talk to you a little bit about what is really fundamentally problematic here. It’s for some bizarre reason, when people’s relationships fail, they all seem to go back to the beginning as an excuse for why they failed. You know, “why did my relationship fail?” Well, because we were too young, or we didn’t have enough money, or we were too stupid, or just whatever. “We didn’t know each other well enough.” But it’s all bogus. I do not think some people are going along, happily married, and then they go: “Wait a minute! We were too young, let’s end it.” It has nothing to do with the beginning. That’s what everybody does. They’ll always run back and explain the beginning.
***
One of the common things that people use as an excuse about why marriage fail is this idea of marrying too young.

I agree with him here. People want to blame everything but themselves for failed marriages. One of the common things these days is "we were too young."

It's just an excuse. IMHO.

And the reasons people gave for marrying later were always "live your life first." I find that funny. So, life ends at marriage, huh? lol.


Also, am I missing something or is this just a small clip of the whole show? I even found "part 2" and it was an even shorter clip... I didn't hear him saying anything bad about people who don't marry young.

 

[toastface_grillah]

Is there a transcript or anything? The clips on his site didn't get into much detail.