World News and Trends: Growth of British stepfamilies
Numerically speaking, nuclear families—those with children reared by parents in a lifelong marriage—are apparently on the way out in Britain.
"A Family Policy Studies Institute report claims that by 2010, marriage, divorce and remarriage will be the normal pattern of domestic life and, assuming that at least one of the remarrying partners has children, stepfamilies will outnumber nuclear ones."
The numbers of stepfamilies are mushrooming. Of children who are victims of divorce before age 16, more than half will live in a stepfamily. With the 40 percent divorce rate in Britain, 18 million children and adults are part of stepfamilies. Sixty percent of second marriages fail, further complicating the problem.
Lesley White observed: "As lifelong partnership [marriage] fades from absolute convention to romantic ideal, remarriage is ... the choice of those—especially women—with economic options and a personal fulfillment to pursue. Even the House of Windsor [the British royal family], constitutionally obliged to keep the lines of dynasty pure, has become an extended network of modern parenting arrangements."
This is not good news for Britain. Although we can and should sympathize in individual cases, the phenomenon as a whole is exacting a fearsome toll on the nation. The National Stepfamily Association says that "it takes two to 10 years for the stepfamily to become a cohesive unit." Research by the Family Policies Studies Centre shows that stepchildren are more likely to leave school with fewer qualifications, experience worse career prospects, start sexual relationships earlier and run twice the risk of teenage illegitimacy.
The Bible record shows ancient nations murdering children by making them "pass through the fire"—by burning them as a sacrifice to pagan gods. Many modern families are sacrificing their children to a much more arduous life than necessary. Such difficulties result from wholesale societal rejection of God's laws of marriage as given in the Bible.
The apostle Peter spoke of "the restoration of all things" during Christ's coming millennial reign on earth. Few things are more in need of restoration today than that basic building block of society, the family unit. (Sources: The Sunday Times Magazine [London]; Deuteronomy 18:10; Acts 3:19-21.)
An Article from:
Good News Magazine: January - February 1999
Course Content
John Ross Schroeder
John died on March 8, 2014, in Oxford, England, four days after suffering cardiac arrest while returning home from a press event in London. John was 77 and still going strong.
Some of John's work for The Good News appeared under his byline, but much didn't. He wrote more than a thousand articles over the years, but also wrote the Questions and Answers section of the magazine, compiled our Letters From Our Readers, and wrote many of the items in the Current Events and Trends section. He also contributed greatly to a number of our study guides and Bible Study Course lessons. His writing has touched the lives of literally millions of people over the years.
John traveled widely over the years as an accredited journalist, especially in Europe. His knowledge of European and Middle East history added a great deal to his articles on history and Bible prophecy.
In his later years he also pastored congregations in Northern Ireland and East Sussex, and that experience added another dimension to his writing. He and his wife Jan were an effective team in our British Isles office near their home.
John was a humble servant who dedicated his life to sharing the gospel—the good news—of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God to all the world, and his work was known to readers in nearly every country of the world.
Scott Ashley
Scott Ashley was managing editor of Beyond Today magazine, United Church of God booklets and its printed Bible Study Course until his retirement in 2023. He also pastored three congregations in Colorado for 10 years from 2011-2021. He and his wife, Connie, live near Denver, Colorado.
Mr. Ashley attended Ambassador College in Big Sandy, Texas, graduating in 1976 with a theology major and minors in journalism and speech. It was there that he first became interested in publishing, an industry in which he worked for 50 years.
During his career, he has worked for several publishing companies in various capacities. He was employed by the United Church of God from 1995-2023, overseeing the planning, writing, editing, reviewing and production of Beyond Today magazine, several dozen booklets/study guides and a Bible study course covering major biblical teachings. His special interests are the Bible, archaeology, biblical culture, history and the Middle East.
