Throughout history, the foundation of civilization has always
been the family, through which the bonds of community are
formed, children are reared and educated, civic virtues are
upheld, moral boundaries are secured, and the enduring cultural
and legal institutions of free societies are rooted. However,
the spread of secularism in Western societies since the Age of
Enlightenment of the 17th and 18th centuries has resulted in the
spread of moral relativism, along with the rise of powerful,
secular nation-states, while religion and the traditional family
have been increasingly viewed as obsolete, naïve, and even
dangerousin need of being controlled and even displaced by
bureaucratic elites who seek to restructure communities around
centrally planned schemes in education, welfare, housing,
healthcare, employment, and law. In the United States, the
American family has never before been confronted with such
powerful threats to its standing and stability. While many
scholars agree that a loving mother and father i