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(Galatians 4:16)

SIGN of the TIMES:Families Under Pressure... Disturbing Trends in Latest Statistics

ROME-Marriage and family life continue to suffer the inroads of contemporary society.From England came the recent news that the number of women giving birth outside of marriage rose by 22% in the last 5 years.According to a June 29 report published by the Daily Mail newspaper, in 2006 a total of 327,000 children were born out of wedlock, 59,000 more than in 2001.In terms of a proportion of overall births, in 2006 no less than 43.7% of babies had unmarriedmothers.The Daily Mail quoted Patricia Morgan, author of a number of studies on the family,who accused the British tax system favoring single parenthood. "Two out of three of the babies outside marriage will have been born to couples with one eye on the benefit authorities," she told the newspaper.Her remarks were confirmed by a former Labour Party minister for welfare reform, Frank Field.He argued that the tax and benefits system "brutally discriminate," against two-parent families,reported the Times newspaper, June 14.Currently a single mother working 16 hours a week, after tax credits, gains a total income of 487 pounds a week, explained Field.By contrast, a two-parent family earning the minimum wage has to work 116 hours to gain the same income, as the tax credits system does not make allowance for the second adult.The negative effects on families of such a system was confirmed by data published earlier this year by the British Office for National Statistics (ONS). According to an April 11 report by the Independent newspaper 24% of children in Great Britain lived with just one parent in 2006. This compares with 22% in 2001.These children are more likely to live in rented housing and in "non-decent" homes, according to the ONS.
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http://www.zenit.org/article-20144?l=english
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