Studies show that children from a stable marriage with both father and mother in the home have a better opportunity for a successful life and creating a stable family life of their own when they get married.

God seeks godly offspring (Malachi 2:15-16). That is why He hates divorce or any other violation of the sacred covenant of marriage, like same-sex relationships (Malachi 2:14). 

Sexual immorality destabilizes husband-and-wife relationships and can often destabilize the family unit, negatively affecting children.

There is strong evidence that children need both a mother and a father. It seems that the absence of fathers is particularly damaging to children.

In the book Life Without Father: Compelling New Evidence That Fatherhood and Marriage Are Indispensable for the Good of Children and Society (1996), researcher David Popenoe noted that the absence of fathers was strongly linked to many societal ills—from crime to academic failure.

"Marriage must be reestablished as a strong social institution," he argued. He went on to say that "the father's role must be redefined . . . [It] must relate to the unique attributes of modern societies, to the new roles for women, and to the special qualities that men bring to childrearing" (1996, pp. 198-199).

Later he gave some of the statistics demonstrating the importance of fathers in the lives and proper social development of their children:

• 60 percent of America's rapists came from fatherless homes.

• 72 percent of adolescent murderers grew up without a father.

• 70 percent of long-term prison inmates are fatherless.