*disgusted*
*really, completely, stomach-turningly, disgusted*
I don't use MSN.com as a homepage (and, I'd suggest you don't, either). However, I do keep a few copies of IE around for browser testing. And since I use them a few times a month, I haven't bothered to change the homepage.
So, I see a headline, "Should newlyweds buy a house?" It's not a bad article (basically, suggests you take care of debt first, don't buy a ton of shiny toys like cars/motorcycles before trying to get a mortgage, really just common sense advice). However, there are other "related article" links. And a few layers in, poking through the links, I realize that a lot of the articles have titles such as "Should you get a prenup?" (yes, because that way things are cleaner when you get divorced), "How to get a cheap divorce!" (didn't read), "The Non-divorce" (on couples who no longer have fluttery feelings for each other, but remain best friends and continue living together), and a bunch of other articles talking about how to plan for divorce, why you should do certain things in your marriage in case of divorce, and a bunch of other related things.
It just shows how far entrenched divorce is in this culture. It's no longer a last resort, it's just another stage in life - you've got your "trial marriage" when you're young, your "kids marriage" when you're a bit older, and then maybe your "old age marriage" - cycle through them, hey, it's normal!
Fortunately, marriage is one place that we, as the church, can shine. I've seen so many wonderful marriages within GCM, and it does stand out to others. It also gives us a leg to stand on in discussion - "We do it this way. Yes, it's weird. And the divorce rate is 0.5%. Care to explain why your way, with 50% divorce rates, is better?"
-=Russ=-