Contact: Sheila Weber, National Marriage Week USA, 646-322-6853

NEW YORK, Jan. 24, 2014 /Christian Newswire/ -- This week a FOX News commentary by National Marriage Week USA (February 7-14) makes the case that marriage must be part of the current political debate about income inequality and how to reduce poverty. (www.nationalmarriageweekusa.org/fox20140122)

"Today 53% of all babies born to women under age-30, are born outside of marriage," said Sheila Weber, executive director of National Marriage Week USA (www.nationalmarriageweekusa.org). "If we had the marriage rates today that we had in 1970, we'd have 25% less poverty."

"The decline of marriage is our most neglected national emergency," says Weber. "Yet the wealthy are doing a better job at keeping marriages intact and their children are benefitting from the influence of both male and female parenting influence and from enriching educational habits in those homes."

"We must find ways to help impoverished single mothers learn more about how to enrich their own home life; and despite their current circumstances, to give their own children a vision that marriage can be in their future aspirations, because marriage brings greater financial stability, better health, and brings the greatest advantageous way to in turn raise their own children," says Weber.

"We need for ministries, non-profits, schools and churches to find ways to serve fatherless boys, who may not be getting any messages that marriage can even be an attainable goal for them. The pendulum has swung too far away from the historical cultural norm of dutiful manhood; we need a radical change of message, thinking and habits to raise the next generation of young men. Of course, women also need some new messages -- that forestalling sexual intimacy and childbearing until marriage provides them a healthier future and is best for their children," said Weber.

Today's BreakPoint by Eric Metaxas features "The Truth About Marriage and Poverty" and encourages involvement in National Marriage Week USA. Listen at player.subsplash.com/5e301aa.

National Marriage Week USA (Feb. 7-14) is a campaign to increase marriage education nationwide and provides the only online national marriage calendar to list and locate any and all marriage classes all year. To list or locate an event (it's free) -- click National Calendar at www.nationalmarriageweekusa.org. Sheila Weber, its executive director, has been a guest on more than 500 radio and TV talk shows. For interviews, contact Sheila@nationalmarriageweekusa.org.