Additional support comes from eyewitness, ride to freedom.

Three friends enter a simulation and get trapped in history.

1961, the freedom rides, no way out, no script to follow.

When everything turns, they don't fight, they stay.

Eyewitness, ride to freedom, available on major podcast platforms or at eyewitnesspod.com.

You're listening to a special weekend edition of the world and everything in it. I'm Mary Rikert.

Today we're talking about something that affects every community, every church, and every child in it. I'm Mary Reichard. Today we're talking about something that affects every community, every church,

and every child in America. Marriage. My guest is J.P. DeGantz, president and CEO of Communio. That's a

nonprofit that has worked with churches across the country to measurably strengthen marriages and

reduce divorce. He's led an initiative that helped

dramatically drive down the divorce rate in the city of Jacksonville, Florida, and he's also

co-author of Endgame, the church's strategic move to save faith and family in America. J.P. argues that the

decline of marriage isn't just a cultural trend. It's at the root of

weakening faith, rising fatherlessness, and growing social instability. So let's talk about it.

J.P., welcome.

Hey, thank you, Mary. Great to be with you.

Well, let's set the big picture first. Why is marriage the most

important social institution in America? Yeah, look, if we care about happiness and life fulfillment,

it all is downstream of our world's flight for marriage. The state generally is solving the problem

through three steps. It's through either medication, education,

or incarceration. The increased spending in those areas is all inversely related to the share

of households married. Well, you've described this feedback loop between falling marriage rates

...