Lilongwe Adventists to debate marriage age
Christians at Chiuzimbi Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) Church in Lilongwe have resolved to organise a special meeting to come up with a standardised age at which young people can enter holy matrimony.
The resolution was made Saturday last week during Population Weekend activities held in Traditional Authority (T/A) Chitukula in the district.
The activities were jointly organised by Futures Group-Health Policy Project (HPP) and faith leaders to discuss family planning issues and the need to control population growth.
One of the people who attended the function, Edson Msosa, said early and teen marriages are among the drivers of overpopulation in the country.
Msosa said if not checked, the impact of early and teen marriages will be too huge on the economy and society.
“During biblical times, people wouldn’t marry before turning 30 or 40. “That’s why it was easy for them to plan and space their children because they understood their responsibility. Young couples can’t understand the roles and responsibilities that go with being parents,” he said.
Another participant, James Manda, said the world is currently groaning because mankind has put pressure on nature.
On his part, Elder Patrick Nayupe said the executive committee of the church would organise an in-church debate where followers will discuss and agree on the standardised age at which young members can marry.
