Freethought & Rationalism Archive

fatherphil · 04-17-2003, 09:39 AM

perhaps the marriage rate is higher in Christain thus accounting for the higher divorce rate.

beth · 04-17-2003, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by fatherphil
perhaps the marriage rate is higher in Christain thus accounting for the higher divorce rate.

Ah! Something to ponder.....smart guy you are.

Rhea · 04-17-2003, 10:54 AM

Quote:

perhaps the marriage rate is higher in Christain thus accounting for the higher divorce rate.

They key word being RATE.

A term used to control for the sizes of the population. In other words, the number of divorces PER the number of marriages.

beth · 04-17-2003, 11:01 AM

Maybe in those fundy marriages one of the spouses deconverts and the fundy spouse makes life nearly unbearable....? Or maybe in a fundy marriage there is more pressure to be fake and good and that causes more adultery because fundy unsatified lonely spouse has to go outside the marriage to feel real and alive?

brighid · 04-17-2003, 11:01 AM

Born agains are more likely than are non-Christians to have experienced divorce (27% versus 24%, respectively). (1999)

http://www.barna.org/cgi-bin/PageCat...p?CategoryID=8

Brighid

Edited to Add: " Divorce rates among conservative Christians were much higher than for other faith groups.

George Barna, president and founder of Barna Research Group, commented: "While it may be alarming to discover that born again Christians are more likely than others to experience a divorce, that pattern has been in place for quite some time. Even more disturbing, perhaps, is that when those individuals experience a divorce many of them feel their community of faith provides rejection rather than support and healing. But the research also raises questions regarding the effectiveness of how churches minister to families. The ultimate responsibility for a marriage belongs to the husband and wife, but the high incidence of divorce within the Christian community challenges the idea that churches provide truly practical and life-changing support for marriages."

http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_dira.htm

Rhea · 04-17-2003, 11:07 AM

And another one from Barna (which doesn't discuss atheists in this version, curiously, just "born again" and "non-born again" so I guess we're lumped with the religious of both higher and lower divorce rates than the born-agains...)

http://www.barna.org/cgi-bin/PagePre...95&Reference=C

Quote:

But marriage is not as stable a relationship as it once was. Among the three-quarters who have been married, one-third has also experienced at least one divorce. The research identified three surprises in terms of who is most likely to get divorced.

* Born again Christians are just as likely to get divorced as are non-born again adults. Overall, 33% of all born again individuals who have been married have gone through a divorce, which is statistically identical to the 34% incidence among non-born again adults.

* While college graduates are typically more liberal in their political views and lifestyle than adults who lack such a degree, adults who have a college degree and have been married are comparatively less likely to get divorced. Thirty-one percent of college grads that have been married have been divorced versus 36% of adults who did not earn a college degree and have been married.

* Residents of the Northeast and West are commonly noted for their more liberal leanings in politics and lifestyle. However, the region of the nation in which divorce was least likely was the Northeast. In that area, 28% of adults who had been married had also been divorced, compared to 32% in the Midwest, 35% in the South, and 38% in the West.

recalling,

http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_dira.htm

Quote:

Religion % have been divorced
Jews 30%
Born-again Christians 27%
Other Christians 24%
Atheists, Agnostics 21%

Rhea · 04-17-2003, 11:12 AM

Again, I say the church would do well, it would seem to me, to find out why Atheists and well-educated people don't divorce and try to emulate them, wouldn't you think?

So if we marry later or less often, then maybe the church should try that route. If reducing divorce is important, that is.

And if higher education leads to both less crime and less divorce, the churches should promote the shit out of it, don't you think?

(except that usually results in atheism, too. Ah - collateral damage)

philechat · 04-17-2003, 11:21 AM

The same site also said Jews to be the group most likely to experience divorce. However, Jews are probably the most well-educated group in the country, not excluding atheists/agnostics. So would something else also contribute to the results?

My humble opinion is that among Jews there is a much higher pressure to get married than among atheists/agnostics. I think I read somewhere that only 20% or so of atheists/agnostics were married in any given time, while 60% of Jews were married at any given time.

Rhea · 04-17-2003, 11:25 AM

so religion overcomes the protections of education... perhaps?

fatherphil · 04-17-2003, 12:15 PM

rhea, if the atheist shack up and subsequent break up is not counted as a divorce whereas the Christian shack up (ie.. marriage) and break up is, that might account for the higher rate. more Christians who might lack the level of commitment to sustain a marriage may be forced into the institution due to the lack of availability of other options the atheists have at their disposal.

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04-17-2003, 09:39 AM	#11
fatherphil Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: burbank Posts: 758	perhaps the marriage rate is higher in Christain thus accounting for the higher divorce rate.

04-17-2003, 11:01 AM	#14
beth Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: where orange blossoms bloom... Posts: 1,802	Maybe in those fundy marriages one of the spouses deconverts and the fundy spouse makes life nearly unbearable....? Or maybe in a fundy marriage there is more pressure to be fake and good and that causes more adultery because fundy unsatified lonely spouse has to go outside the marriage to feel real and alive?

04-17-2003, 11:01 AM	#15
brighid Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: somewhere in the known Universe Posts: 6,993	Born agains are more likely than are non-Christians to have experienced divorce (27% versus 24%, respectively). (1999) http://www.barna.org/cgi-bin/PageCat...p?CategoryID=8 Brighid Edited to Add: " Divorce rates among conservative Christians were much higher than for other faith groups. George Barna, president and founder of Barna Research Group, commented: "While it may be alarming to discover that born again Christians are more likely than others to experience a divorce, that pattern has been in place for quite some time. Even more disturbing, perhaps, is that when those individuals experience a divorce many of them feel their community of faith provides rejection rather than support and healing. But the research also raises questions regarding the effectiveness of how churches minister to families. The ultimate responsibility for a marriage belongs to the husband and wife, but the high incidence of divorce within the Christian community challenges the idea that churches provide truly practical and life-changing support for marriages." http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_dira.htm

04-17-2003, 11:12 AM	#17
Rhea Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Recluse Posts: 9,040	Again, I say the church would do well, it would seem to me, to find out why Atheists and well-educated people don't divorce and try to emulate them, wouldn't you think? So if we marry later or less often, then maybe the church should try that route. If reducing divorce is important, that is. And if higher education leads to both less crime and less divorce, the churches should promote the shit out of it, don't you think? (except that usually results in atheism, too. Ah - collateral damage)

04-17-2003, 11:21 AM	#18
philechat Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Mind of the Other Posts: 886	The same site also said Jews to be the group most likely to experience divorce. However, Jews are probably the most well-educated group in the country, not excluding atheists/agnostics. So would something else also contribute to the results? My humble opinion is that among Jews there is a much higher pressure to get married than among atheists/agnostics. I think I read somewhere that only 20% or so of atheists/agnostics were married in any given time, while 60% of Jews were married at any given time.

04-17-2003, 11:25 AM	#19
Rhea Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Recluse Posts: 9,040	so religion overcomes the protections of education... perhaps?

04-17-2003, 12:15 PM	#20
fatherphil Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: burbank Posts: 758	rhea, if the atheist shack up and subsequent break up is not counted as a divorce whereas the Christian shack up (ie.. marriage) and break up is, that might account for the higher rate. more Christians who might lack the level of commitment to sustain a marriage may be forced into the institution due to the lack of availability of other options the atheists have at their disposal.

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