PHOENIX, ARIZONA, January 22, 2004: Leo Godzich tells the couples in his premarital education class at the Phoenix First Assembly of God, how important it is to enter into marriage knowing each other’s finances, sharing assets and agreeing on their budget priorities, says this New York Times article. Such classes would be useful for Hindu temples to conduct for about-to-be married Hindus.
Some in Dr. Godzich’s class are members of the church but most are not. Most are middle class, but some are eligible for a subsidy through the state welfare program, which has budgeted $1 million for initiatives to promote marriage — much as President Bush proposes to do, to the tune of $1.5 billion, in the welfare re-authorization bill. Many such programs already exist, without government backing. Over the last decade, marriage education has mushroomed, in churches, community centers, colleges and high schools. The Bush administration’s plan to use federal money to foster healthy marriages among low-income families has drawn considerable fire. While there is consensus among family experts that two-parent households give children the strongest start, there is sharp disagreement about government involvement in promoting marriage. In evaluations from 1,115 participants subsidized by the state, Dr. Godzich said, an overwhelming majority said they had learned tools to resolve conflict in their marriage, and their marriage would be better as a result. But, he conceded, whether the programs actually produce more stable marriages is unknown. In Dr. Godzich’s class, religion was not much in evidence. Almost everything in the two-hour class was straightforward advice that would make sense in any setting: Don’t blame a spouse for financial decisions. Don’t hide money from your spouse. Don’t hide from your creditors. Concentrate on giving rather than taking. And above all, be sure this is the right partner.
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