Fearing Divorce, Many Couples Avoid Marriage

Marriage rates are at an all-time low.


Summary: The fear of divorce is one reason why many committed couples aren’t getting married, according to a new study. The Pew Research Center’s survey found marriage rates are at their lowest point ever, with only about half of American adults currently married.  The median ages for first marriages for both men and women have also risen to new records.


In the new study, researchers conducted interviews with 122 people (61 couples interviewed as individuals) who lived with a partner in and around Columbus, Ohio. The participants were divided into two groups, middle-class and working-class, depending upon their education and income. They were asked questions on several topics including their thoughts and plans for marriage.


Middle-class participants were more excited about the prospects for marriage, and they saw  living together as being merely a stepping stone to matrimony.  Yet, some 67% worried about the potential for divorce with its social, legal, emotional and economic consequences, not to mention the consequences of divorce on children.


According to the researchers, divorce came up in 81 of 122 interviews, and finding the right partner before entering a marriage was a big concern for many of the respondents who indicated they wanted to “do it right” and get married only once. Some reasons for deferring marriage included not being ready to take it seriously, religious strictures against divorce, and insufficient finances. The prominence of divorce in society along with experiences with divorce among friends and parents had their effect on the participants.


Working-class women had strong doubts about marriage and feared the difficulty of exiting the institution if things didn’t work out. They were twice as likely as middle-class women to fear being stuck in a marriage with no way out if they had to rely on their spouse’s income. They saw fewer benefits to being married and thought it would lead to more responsibilities because of the “expectations” for a wife. Working-class cohabitating couples were more likely to think of marriage as “just a piece of paper” and were less likely to change their existing relationships. Counselors working with these couples might want to get them to clarify their expectations for household division of labor before getting married.


To read the entire article, click on LIVE SCIENCE.


Comment: For people who see healthy families as forming the foundation for a healthy society, having to witness the decline in the institution of marriage is a cause for sadness and concern. How many of our society’s problems with crime and poverty could be avoided if every person would see marriage as an honorable estate and every child could grow up in a family with a caring father and a loving mother?


It was God who instituted marriage when He brought together the first couple, Adam and Eve. So we would do well to see what He has to say about the subject. God says it is not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18) and marriage He says is honorable (Hebrews 13:4)(Proverbs 18:22). Marriages which produce children attract His blessings (Psalm 127; Psalm 128). And for the sincere Christian, the chances of ever having to face the agony of a divorce would be greatly reduced if he/she married a sincere fellow Christian (2 Corinthians 6:14), so that whatever each does will be done to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).


To be sure, there are undoubtedly many single people who greatly desire to get married but have not yet found their lifelong marriage partner. (Even choosing to remain single is not in itself a sin — 1 Corinthians 7:1.) There are also married couples who greatly desire children but have not been blessed by God with offspring. These situations are among the “crosses” that we are told Christians must bear (Matthew 10:38).


It is interesting that at times Jesus referred to Himself as a bridegroom. “Jesus answered, ‘How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them’” (Matthew 9:15). What a remarkable picture this presents — a groom willing to give up His life for His guests and His bride, in this case, His church (Ephesians 5:25-27). We therefore desire to honor Jesus Christ for this greatest of all sacrifices, the giving up of His life for us so that we can one day enjoy the marriage feast in heaven (Revelation 19:9). 


PRINT (Black type on white background)
  
********************************************


Want to be automatically notified each time there is a new post? Just e-mail your request to admin@lutheranscience.org].


********************************************


QUESTION OF THE DAY


What kind of water cannot conduct electricity?


Totally demineralized water with no gaseous impurities.  While it’s not found on supermarket shelves because it isn’t fit for cooking or human consumption, demineralized water is used in some industrial applications.


Source: Marilyn vos Savant, writing in Parade (11/27/11) 


********************************************


NOTE ON VISITOR COMMENTS: Visitor comments are invited including those containing alternate views. However, comments containing profanity or advertisements will not be published. After posting a comment, please allow several hours for it to appear on the blog.