Is the Family Finished?

Some claim the family is outdated and must be radically redefined—but that’s a false conclusion. While the world has changed, the essential role of the family has not. As sociologist Carle Zimmerman argues, the family still educates, protects, disciplines, and shapes lives—often more than any other institution. Scripture affirms this: the family is God-ordained, older than church or state, and central to human life. It has survived every crisis in history and remains the foundation of society. The family isn’t finished—its critics are. When we lose the family, we lose touch with life itself.