Christian VS Atheist divorce rates: (sin, church, religion, children)

[Huckleberry3911948]

true atheists are thinkers they think b4 they marry.
christians believe before they marry and know god will work it out.
see the lawyer b4 not after.

[MontanaGuy]

kdbrich wrote:

Because they have a lower marriage rate? Just a guess...I really have no idea what the actual numbers are. I would suspect that it might be a case of the ones that get married are actually serious about making it work.

Or maybe it's because atheists are more grounded in reality, can understand and face their own sexuality (in other words if they're gay they're unlikely to get married and have it fail), are able to have an open and honest conversation with their spouse that isn't filled with religious dogma, etc. Just a thought.

[cncracer]

I think it relates to education, age/maturity at time of marriage, and not allowing religious differences to interfere with the more important things in life. I have listened to religious people talk about their family arrangement with statements about “The One Head of Household”, and “the one” who makes all the decisions in the family. This arrangement, preached in their bible, puts the spouse in a secondary position, and thus weakens the relationship. It also often puts the weaker partner making decisions over their head.

In my house we make joint decisions, and as such use all the mental power we can muster before a major decision is made. It encourages discussion, and prevents surprises. It also pulls us closer together instead of making our relationship one of master and secondary member of family.

[kdbrich]

Originally Posted by cncracer

I think it relates to education, age/maturity at time of marriage, and not allowing religious differences to interfere with the more important things in life. I have listened to religious people talk about their family arrangement with statements about “The One Head of Household”, and “the one” who makes all the decisions in the family. This arrangement, preached in their bible, puts the spouse in a secondary position, and thus weakens the relationship. It also often puts the weaker partner making decisions over their head.

In my house we make joint decisions, and as such use all the mental power we can muster before a major decision is made. It encourages discussion, and prevents surprises. It also pulls us closer together instead of making our relationship one of master and secondary member of family.

I'm the "head of household" in my family--but I get clearance from my wife before spending more than $20 usually.

Originally Posted by MontanaGuy

kdbrich wrote:

Or maybe it's because atheists are more grounded in reality, can understand and face their own sexuality (in other words if they're gay they're unlikely to get married and have it fail), are able to have an open and honest conversation with their spouse that isn't filled with religious dogma, etc. Just a thought.

You may have some truth there. I think a lot of "Christians" are just simply not Christians. They are acting that way because they think it's expected of them--living a fake life. It's certainly plausible that a lot of non-believers just don't even make an attempt at acting like it. If you're not living in an honest way with yourself, getting married is not going to help things.

I'm actually fairly critical of the evangelical church today. I think a lot of people never really examine why they believe.

[jojajn]

Originally Posted by kdbrich

I'm the "head of household" in my family--but I get clearance from my wife before spending more than $20 usually.






You may have some truth there. I think a lot of "Christians" are just simply not Christians. They are acting that way because they think it's expected of them--living a fake life. It's certainly plausible that a lot of non-believers just don't even make an attempt at acting like it. If you're not living in an honest way with yourself, getting married is not going to help things.

I'm actually fairly critical of the evangelical church today. I think a lot of people never really examine why they believe.

and terrorists are not muslims, right?

[Boxcar Overkill]

Originally Posted by kdbrich

I'm the "head of household" in my family--but I get clearance from my wife before spending more than $20 usually.

.

When I got married, my wife's grandpa describe the secret to their 40+ year marriage like this:

"Our marriage has lasted so long because I make all the big decisions, and I let her make all the small decisions. So far, there hasn't been any big decisions."

[Parti Rhinocéros]

Originally Posted by shibainu

27% of born-again Christians have had at least one divorce; 24% of all non-born-again Christians have been divorced

I graduated college with a degree in history, not math. However, wouldn't this make the divorce rate essentially somewhere between 24-27% if this statistic were true? It would seem to me that considering our overall divorce rate is approximately 51%, then both of those groups numbers have to be higher, and since born-again Christians make up a very large segment of our population, I am guessing that the 27% is no where near in the ballpark of reality.

My two cents: The biggest reason, in my opinion, is that when you add a prerequisite as important as a person's religion to the 'love equation' as many Christians do, the complications show themselves very early on and in profound ways.

- 1) You may immediately reconsider a person who is perfectly suited for you but simply isn't a matching mate based on differing beliefs.
- 2) You may be willing to conform to a non-compatible mate, forgiving negative qualities because the same belief in religion is present
- 3) Our religion and political beliefs change over time. What happens to a relationship that is based sometimes purely on them?

Relationships and marriage are hard enough without making them harder. Americans like challenges: I guess accepting people for who they are is too easy.

[jay_jay26]

Originally Posted by MeatLoaf_Enchilada

I don't get marriage.

I got married not just because of love, but because of our jobs too. We're in the military (he's active, I'm reservist). The divorce rate of the branch we both serve, is less than 12%.

Our relationship hadn't change since we got married...and I like it.

Getting married in hopes of expecting that one spouse would change, is silly. I'd never expect my hubby to change; I like him the way he is. That aspect is something I don't get; why so many people (especially women) expect so much of a marriage?! Is not a big deal; you're with your significant other...and the government knows it.
I have many friends who got married under that false hope of changing their men, just to find out who they will really change will be themselves.


Taxes and health insurance are cheaper, better pay, more days off....

[jay_jay26]

Originally Posted by Boxcar Overkill

When I got married, my wife's grandpa describe the secret to their 40+ year marriage like this:

"Our marriage has lasted so long because I make all the big decisions, and I let her make all the small decisions. So far, there hasn't been any big decisions."

My grandmother told me the same thing, and I plan to live my marriage like that. I make all the "small" decisions.

[dragonfly01]

Where are these statistics?