DinnerDialogue.com is a division of Family Matters. Its purpose is to bring deeper and more open discussions to your family. Every weekday brings new news that opens up topics for discussion on moral, ethical and spiritual issues.

TODAY'S NEWS - July 1, 2002
This page is updated by 2:00 pm (PST)

Why men drag their feet down the aisle - USA Today
Young men won't commit to marriage because they are so comfortable with their current arrangement — just living with a woman — that they don't see why they should bother, a new study from Rutgers University says. A divorce could cost megabucks. And as great as it would be to have kids, the men are a bit put off by the expectation that they will share child-care burdens equally with their wives. The findings are from Rutgers' National Marriage Project, which released a report Tuesday on the top 10 reasons young men won't marry. The observations won't startle anyone who follows the travails of the unmarried young. But still, the report will probably inflame the current debate on commitment that is taking place from academic campuses to singles' bars.

Looking for love - World Net Daily
It is the unusual caller or listener of any age who isn't divorced, divorcing or the product of divorce. These multiple losses and failures do not make young people of either gender feel secure and hopeful about commitment. But, why might males respond more negatively? Simple. Men know that when there is a divorce, they all-too-often lose their children.

Note: The questions are not numbered so you won't feel obligated to ask them in order. Read all of the questions first to see how you want this dialogue to go.

• Though this may seem like a topic for older children, it's never too early to start talking about it with your younger children. Be creative in your delivery.
  
  
• Why do you think men, or women, are "commitment phobic" and drag their feet when it comes to marriage?
  
  
• When do you think you will be ready to get married? When do you think you will be ready to have kids? What are your requirements for a prospective spouse?
  
  
• What are your reasons for darting, or not darting for that matter? What are your views about living together before marriage?
  
  
• Given that marriage is the second most important decision your child will make in their life, what have you done to prepare them for dating and marriage?
  
  
• How involved is the church on these issues?
  
  
• What scriptures come to mind?
  Matthew 8:19; Galatians 5:19-21; 1 Corinthians 7:1-2, 8-9; Proverbs 31:10-31; Genisus 2:18
  Use the Bible tool at the bottom of this page to find more scripture regarding these issues.

SIDE ORDERS - other news from today

Theater Company Swaps 'Hunchback' for 'Bellringer' - Fox News
A British theater company has changed the name of its adaptation of the classic novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, so it won't offend people with the disability.

Half million turn out for SF gay pride parade - CNN
Jean Fichtenkort, a lesbian from Berkeley, was there with her 16-month-old adopted son, Michael Heffner... "We're very fortunate to live here and we know it," she said. "Little by little the changes are happening and when he's an adult, it's going to be nothing."

Man charged with setting Arizona wildfire - USA Today
A contract firefighter from this town on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation was charged Sunday with starting an Arizona wildfire so he could make money. Leonard Gregg, 29, a firefighter for the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, was arrested over the weekend and charged with arson in the 738-square-mile Rodeo-Chediski fire. By Sunday, the 463,000-acre combined blaze had destroyed at least 423 homes. It was about 45% contained by fire lines near Show Low but continued to burn out of control to the west.

Discovery Ends Threat to Eliminate Credits - Zap2It
Instead, Discovery will give producers the option of moving their credits to the beginning of a program. The credits would run in the lower left corner of the TV screen during the first 30 seconds of a show, the Washington Post reports.

Cronkite wants standing U.N. army - World Net Daily
In a new fund-raising letter for the World Federalist Association, former CBS anchorman Walter Cronkite, known for a generation as "the most trusted man in America," calls for the creation of a standing United Nations army and U.S. Senate ratification of the International Criminal Court.

Muslim woman to challenge ban on veil in driver's license photo - CNN
A judge ruled Thursday that a Muslim woman can pursue her legal fight to wear a veil for a driver's license photo, despite objections from the state that it jeopardizes public safety.

LEFTOVERS - previous dialogues

Friday - June 28, 2002

What to take? Evacuees must choose from a lifetime of memories
The race to raise a brainier baby

Thursday - June 27, 2002

Flap After Court Rules Pledge of Allegiance Unconstitutional

Wednesday - June 26, 2002

Spanking May Make Kids Violent, Analysis Finds
Sign Threatens Potential Car Thieves

Tuesday - June 25, 2002

Democracy for Palestinians
For Some, Tag Joins Dodgeball as Playground Pariah
Leveled Playing Field?

Monday - June 24, 2002

Suicide over hair-do
FBI: Major Crime Up 2 Percent

Friday - June 21, 2002

School district bans piercing beyond ears
Nintendo puts out toys for big boys

Thursday - June 20, 2002

Larger passengers pay more on Southwest Air

Wednesday - June 19, 2002

Jumbo-Sized Junk Food
Lure of Millions Fuels 9/11 Families' Feuding

Tuesday - June 18, 2002

Atheists protest Ground Zero cross
Family sues church over new admissions policy

Monday - June 17, 2002

Men challenging laws forcing non-fathers to pay child support