Here is good news for those of us who have been continually told that divorce rates amongst Christians are comparable to those of the general population: The Christian Divorce Rate Myth.
W. Bradford Wilcox, a leading sociologist at the University of Virginia and director of the National Marriage Project, finds from his own analysis that “active conservative Protestants” who regularly attend church are 35 percent less likely to divorce compared to those who have no affiliation. Nominally attending conservative Protestants are 20 percent more likely to divorce, compared to secular Americans . . . .
The divorce rates of Christian believers are not identical to the general population — not even close. Being a committed, faithful believer makes a measurable difference in marriage.
Saying you believe something or merely belonging to a church, unsurprisingly, does little for marriage. But the more you are involved in the actual practice of your faith in real ways — through submitting yourself to a serious body of believers, learning regularly from Scripture, being in communion with God though prayer individually and with your spouse and children, and having friends and family around you who challenge you to take [your marriage] seriously — the greater difference this makes in strengthening both the quality and longevity of our marriages. Faith does matter and the leading sociologists of family and religion tell us so.
April 12th, 2012 | 2:27 pm | #1
[...] David T. Koyzis writes on the myth that the divorce rate among Christians is the same as non-Christians. [...]
April 12th, 2012 | 5:34 pm | #2
[...] “Christians and marriage,” David T. Koyzis, Evangel [...]
April 16th, 2012 | 9:47 am | #3
This is hardly a pat on the back for us that we have ’35 percent’ fewer cavities than the general populace. We still have a lot of cavities that are essentially ignored in our churches.
The church that I attended for many years did not even blink when the leading deacon just got married to the wife of a fellow Christian. [This was in a 'bible believing,' evangelical church.]
All the same excuses are given if one even questions it: e.g. we’ve just got to love them…etc. Of course, that is the same excuse for those who support homosexual marriages. And we wonder why???
We have abandoned the biblical meaning of basics. That is why the view of many Christians about essentials like love, prayer, and forgiveness borders on heresy.
http://www.amazon.com/Love-Prayer-Forgiveness-Michael-Snow/dp/159467664X/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_t_1
April 16th, 2012 | 9:49 am | #4
Yawn…never mind all that. Let’s just get on with our divorce support groups and marriage ‘programs.’
April 17th, 2012 | 5:10 pm | #5
My pastor recently told us a stat about how couples who pray together have a lower divorce rate than those who don’t. Can’t remember where he got the stat from, but it was interesting- though I wonder how reliable that study was.
April 19th, 2012 | 11:21 pm | #6
60% of those who are Christian but rarely attend church have been divorced. For those who attend regularly, the rate is 38%.
So 2 out of every 5 marriages fail if the spouses attend church regularly.
Perhaps we should call this “defining good news down”.
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=34656
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