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By Richard Kieninger The custom of marriage is
here to stay. There have been many eras when the popularity of marriage has
declined, but it is still the most rewarding of human relationships in its many
challenges and responsibilities. Only those societies which develop sound,
stable families develop emotionally healthy children in sufficiently large
numbers to develop advanced civilizations. When a society demands that its
offspring adhere to moral principles in lovemaking and mating, it also
develops complementary romantic devices to encourage lifelong unions and the
mechanics to sustain them. Christ speaks of the optimum situation of
monogamy and the resisting of extramarital liaisons since they weaken the
bonds of marriage. This is no condemnation, however, of those societies where
a heavy death rate among males demands polygamy for survival. The currently popular
“playboy” philosophy, which extols instant sexual gratification, precludes
development of passion and defeats long-term development of interpersonal
concerns. The shallow, dissociated flitting from partner to partner to find
sexual excitement becomes animal in nature and discourages love. And without
the bonds of love, one is even more cast adrift in the world. This trend
toward depersonalization is exemplified in our current dance fads where
people dance at one another rather than together. Romanticism is the reverse
of this trend. The recent romantic era was itself a reaction against the
bawdy, licentious “Tom Jones” Era in Europe, which discouraged marriage and
created a social and economic decadence which finally became intolerable to
those immersed in it. The justification for
romanticism is that is excites passion—passion being the essence of vitality
and enthusiasm. The French have a saying which avers that the aim of passion
is to increase itself. Sexual gratification, on the other hand, results in a
cessation of passion and, at least temporarily, produces physical and
psychic ennui, which is death oriented. This is not to imply that abstention
or celibacy is advocated. Obviously, a purpose of romanticism is to heighten
satisfaction. This wisdom of sustaining a
romantic excitation of passion in marriage in order to keep it growing
through the decades was long ago recognized by the Elder Brothers. In
Lemuria, the school system conducted separate, confidential classes for boys
and girls in their late teens and instructed them how to achieve the mystique
of their respective masculinity or femininity in relationship to the opposite
sex. Good grooming, graciousness and mystery are feminine tools for
attracting and holding a male. The most fascinating ladies of the world have
been those whose demeanor is flirtatious but who clearly have no intention of
delivering themselves to a man except in marriage. They could interest
without arousing, thus attracting lifelong male friends. All the enthusiasms of life
involve a passionate nature, and lack of passion leaves one bored and sour. If
we can convey the romance of passion about life to our children while
protecting them from the traps of prematurely gratifying sexual desire
outside of love, then we shall develop mature, vivacious engagers with life
upon which to found a great, exciting civilization. In recognition of that
understanding, the occasion of a couple’s marriage is one of the most
celebrated events in The Adelphi Organization. Marriage usually comes after a
long period of courtship as the members of TAO recognize the importance of a
strong, stable relationship prior to entering marriage and bearing children.
Secure, happy, loving relationships are paramount to raising superior Egos by
providing the proper psychological and physical environment. Nothing is more
important to civilization than this all-important task, and the
responsibility lies primarily with married couples. Many couples undergo, at
their own initiation, premarital counseling, psychological compatibility
testing or extensive discussion of their life goals individually and as a
couple. The way in which a couple
decides to celebrate their marriage is as varied as are the individuals. The
setting is each couple’s personal decision and may range from a quiet
ceremony in a home with only family or witnesses present to a community-wide
traditional church wedding with full reception and dancing. In addition to emotional
support, the members provide the newlyweds-to-be with much physical support
including assistance with wedding plans, bridal showers, pre-wedding parties,
housing for out-of-town guests (if available), food preparation, decorating,
etc. The wedding is only the
start of a marriage. The honor, respect, and support given a couple on their
wedding day are continued in their day-to-day life as husband and wife. The
institution of marriage as an integral part of Christ’s Great Plan as it is a
primary mechanism by which man learns about his fellow man and therefore
advances himself to Brotherhood and eventually Mastership. |
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