Greetings Everyone,

In a previous post, the topic of marriage and its current value in the new millennium was discussed. The main argument was that only half of Americans are married and 40% of unmarried adults believe marriage has now become obsolete. Well, this recently led me to start questioning the value of family, more specifically the nuclear family. I know my inquiry might come across as offensive to some, but it’s a valid question nowadays. Since marriage is no longer culturally relevant, particularly here in the United States, could the same thing be said about the nuclear family?

My response would be “no.”

Western society has defined the nuclear family as a group of people who are united by ties of partnership and parenthood and consists of a pair of adults and their socially recognized children; the adults most often being a man and a woman. But since “traditional norms” have now become problematic in the liberal sense, I started researching nuclear family values in relations to spirituality, more notably African Spirituality.

Father = Sun, Mother = Moon, Child = Star

African Spirituality acted as the righteous base in ancient Africa, with ancient Kemet or KMT (Egypt) being one of many in African societies. Amen Par Ankh advised that the mother, father, and child was the original Holy Trinity. The ruling law was Ma’at, “and under Kemet cosmology, Ma’at is designed to avert chaos and maintain truth; the symbol for truth, justice, balance, and order is the Goddess Ma’at.” So going against this rule of law would be going against nature or universal law, as some would say.

Being anchored in a nuclear family and experiencing the masculine/feminine balance that my father and mother brought to the home, gave me a different perspective on the relationship between men and women. We need each other, especially when it comes to raising children. Boys and girls learn aspects of manhood and womanhood from seeing it demonstrated from their parents. But, somehow, this natural order has now become devalued and even criticized at times. Some adults arrogantly try to argue the point that traditional unions and households no longer hold any relevance, or that single parenthood and co-parenting are just as effective as two-parent households. Which is disingenuous, and the data proves it:

• The US Census Bureau advised that between 1960 – 2016, the percentage of children living in families with two parents decreased from 88 to 69; the percentage of children living with only their mother tripled from 8 to 23 percent, and those children living with only their father increased from 1 to 4 percent.
• Some of the effects on the children include a weaker sense of connection with one’s neighborhood, with the child being more prone to exploit its members to satisfy their needs and desires.
  • Higher crime rates; 10% increase in single-parent homes leads to a 17% increase in juvenile crimes.
  • Child Development; the absence of love, affection, and dedication from both parents frustrates the child and stunts their ability to belong.
  • The child tends to have issues forming attachments, which may lead to aggression and hostility towards others.
  • Academic and behavioral problems in school are also more common with children who grew up in single-parent households.

In no way am I trying to shame anyone who didn’t grow up in a nuclear family, because one size doesn’t fit all and I know that statistics don’t apply to everyone. But I am going to defend this family structure and be unapologetic about it. Men and women naturally bring things to each other and their children, and when all parties are on a certain code of conduct, the end result tends to be more positive than negative. And regardless of whether you base this union around an organized religion or form of spiritually, the power of this trinity ultimately can’t be duplicated or replaced.

Until Next Time…

(Sources)

Cross, V. (n.d.). 42 Laws of Maat Under Kemet Law. Retrieved April 15, 2018, from http://www.blackhistoryheroes.com/2013/02/42-laws-of-maat-under-kemet-law-and.html

Effects of Family Structure on Crime. (n.d.). Retrieved April 15, 2018, from http://marripedia.org/effects_of_family_structure_on_crime

Nuclear family. (n.d.). Retrieved April 15, 2018, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/nuclear-family

The Majority of Children Live With Two Parents, Census Bureau Reports. (2016, November 17). Retrieved April 15, 2018, from https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2016/cb16-192.html

The Original Trinity- Mother and Sun Reunion. (2016, August 17). Retrieved April 15, 2018, from https://nuta-ankh.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-original-trinity-mother-and-sun.html