Firstly, I would like to invite you to watch this video: "UnMarried: The Rise of Singleness." Don't worry, it's only 36 seconds long (I'd embed it, but viewing outside of YouTube has been disabled, apparently).
Now, I want to state my two cents on the matter.
The movie they're releasing, judging by that trailer, seems to imply delayed marriage, declining marriage rates, and prolonged singleness is going to cause a downfall of the "family," the Church, and of the country. That's a rather weighty accusation. And they want to say it's Biblical to not only marry, but to marry young.
I've some issues with that.
To start my side of the issue would be, of course, Jesus, who was unwed (the Church as His bride not counting), as well as most of the apostles.
Another would be 1 Corinthians 7, another obvious stance on the issue; "To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single as I am. But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion." (v. 8-9)
"I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord." (v. 32-35)
"So then he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better." (v. 38)That does say singleness is preferable if possible. In many cases, it is. In some, it's not.
When Jesus gave the parable of the wedding feast in Luke 14, he said one man's excuse for not being able to attend was "I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come." (v. 20)
Does this say that, when it comes down to the Kingdom of God, it is quite binding to be married (possibly because, as Paul said, the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife)?
Another reason for condoning singleness is the image given of Jesus' return in Matthew 24: "For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man." (v. 37-39)
This implies that people will be so caught up in the ways of the world that they'll miss the fact that the doors were closed (and were before the rain started); one of the implications of living like the world being marrying and giving in marriage.
I'm not saying marriage is wrong.
Fellowship is necessary, and -a godly- marriage is one of the greatest, most beautiful forms of fellowship; two lives becoming one in Christ.
I think marriage is an amazing thing for those called to marry. But not all are called to do so.
So with this being said, I'm going to watch the development of this documentary, and weigh it against my own life, as well as, of course, Biblical doctrine.
