Non-Denominational Christians the Most Likely to be Divorced

[Midtowner]

The Barna Research Group conducted a study in 1999 which included 3,854 adults in 48 states. They found that the most likely group of people to be divorced were non-denominal Christians in the South. The least likely? Atheists, Catholics, Lutherans and agnostics (a tie)

Variation in divorce rates among Christian faith groups:
Denomination (in order of decreasing divorce rate) % who have been divorced

Non-denominational (small conservative groups; independents) 34%
Baptists 29%
Mainline Protestants 25%
Mormons 24%
Catholics 21%
Lutherans 21%

Jews 30%
Born-again Christians 27%
Other Christians 24%
Atheists, Agnostics 21%

The study also found to be completely bunk the theory that 50% of marriages end up in divorce. It's more like a quarter.

[Karried]

No doubt, marriage is a tough haul regardless of your religious beliefs and preferences.

I can attest to that .. we're not overly religious

We're going on 20 years - It hasn't always been perfect.. I don't think anyone's marriage is..but I'm proud we have worked very hard to keep our marriage healthy.

I sound so old.. I don't feel old.. 20 years? Maybe I am after all?

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

I'd like to see a study on which ones never get married to begin with.

[jbrown84]

I think it could be connected to the fact that Christians are expected to marry if they are going to live together/have kids/be serious, etc. So more people that shouldn't be married rush into it because they (understandably) don't want to "live in sin".

But there really isn't a huge difference there. 8% between Catholics and Baptists.

[Midtowner]

8% is pretty huge. That's almost 1 more out of every 10 marriages being successful.

I thought it was most interesting that atheists and agnostics had the lowest incident of divorce.

[jbrown84]

Well, the .8 persons out of ten there probably comes from people that lived together but never get married. Atheists and agnostics would have no moral objections to that prospect.

[Martin]

i agree with jbrown that the 'no sex before marriage' morality causes many people of christian faith to rush into relationships. while i personally support that moral, i think it's likely that it plays a big role in affecting these stats.

-M

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

I'd say that the pressure to "go forth and multiply" is greater on Christians. A lot of non-believers don't have that pressure from EVERYBODY in their family as well as their peer groups.

Catholics carry too much guilt by just walking around, so we can toss their 21% out the window.

Those crazy Lutherans are screwing up the whole curve though.

[Martin]

i don't know... as a christian i've never had pressure to have lots of kids.

-M

[PUGalicious]

Me neither. Two is enough for me.

Regardless of how others may try to justify the numbers, it's a sad reflection on the state of the church that it looks essentially the same as nonbelievers and that American Christians aren't leading by example when it comes to the sanctity of marriage. It's time to walk the talk.

[bandnerd]

i agree with jbrown that the 'no sex before marriage' morality causes many people of christian faith to rush into relationships. while i personally support that moral, i think it's likely that it plays a big role in affecting these stats.

-M

I think we all probably know someone who got married basically so they could have sex because it was "against their religion" to have pre-marital sex.

It's funny someone said that the less religious probably have less pressure to have kids...my in-laws are all about me having lots and lots of babies...my family, who are Methodists for the most part but aren't like overtly loud about it, have never even expressed an opinion. Except my mom.

"Hon, don't have kids. Just have cats. Then you can travel."

HAHAHAHAHAHA. Thanks, mom!

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

i don't know... as a christian i've never had pressure to have lots of kids.

-M

Then you're reading the wrong bible!

[SoonerDave]

The study also found to be completely bunk the theory that 50% of marriages end up in divorce. It's more like a quarter.

That's one of the classic misuse/abuse of statistics. When you hear that, it's almost always someone's misguided calculation of taking the marriage rate and divorce rate, eg if in a given period of time, 10 couples marry and 5 couples divorce, then someone says the divorce rate is 50%. Classic junk statistics.

I do think that table of statistics may include two undifferentiated groups in the "Non-denominational Christian" category. There are those who might identify themselves as Christian, but for whatever reason are not currently active in a church, and as a result might choose to identify themselves as "non-denominational." There are others who expressly seek out a church that is not formally affiliated with mainstream denominations. I would be interested to see those statistics further broken down in that regard...

I would further be interested to see divorce statistics among individuals of differing faiths, eg Athiest married to, say, Catholic (okay, okay, probably an extreme combination, but you get the idea). My prediction would be that most people dismiss religious differences, but once life grinds away from the honeymoon and into the mundane, day-to-day stuff, those more "foundational" beliefs (whatever they may be, and however different they may be) have a funny way of surfacing. Those, ultimately can rock a marriage without anyone noticing it, in much the same way water rots wood...slowly, and often invisibly.

Just a thought.

-soonerdave

[bandnerd]

I would further be interested to see divorce statistics among individuals of differing faiths, eg Athiest married to, say, Catholic (okay, okay, probably an extreme combination, but you get the idea). My prediction would be that most people dismiss religious differences, but once life grinds away from the honeymoon and into the mundane, day-to-day stuff, those more "foundational" beliefs (whatever they may be, and however different they may be) have a funny way of surfacing. Those, ultimately can rock a marriage without anyone noticing it, in much the same way water rots wood...slowly, and often invisibly.

Just a thought.

-soonerdave

It's not that extreme...that's my marriage you're talking about, hon. Thanks for the pick-me-up. I was having such a great day

[jbrown84]

Regardless of how others may try to justify the numbers, it's a sad reflection on the state of the church that it looks essentially the same as nonbelievers and that American Christians aren't leading by example when it comes to the sanctity of marriage. It's time to walk the talk.

I didn't intend to rationalize it. I think by all means we need to work towards strengthening marriages and keeping people from rushing into it. That's why the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma has a marriage initiative. We are working on it.

I think we all probably know someone who got married basically so they could have sex because it was "against their religion" to have pre-marital sex.

That's kind of a narrow generalization. Christian couples get married because it's expected. If they were non-Christian, they would probably just move in together, but as Christians they won't do that without marrying, but they may not work out long-term.

[Karried]

Just for discussion purposes:

I'm not saying that either thing is preferable, but I'm just wonder what others think about this....

What's worse, living together and then breaking up and moving on.... compared to getting married (possibly too young), having children and putting them through a horrible divorce?

*I know not all divorces have to be horrible but from the people I've seen go through them, it can get pretty bad.

I commend the parents who can get through it and keep the kids pretty insulated from all the messiness of it.

What do you think?

[PUGalicious]

I didn't intend to rationalize it. I think by all means we need to work towards strengthening marriages and keeping people from rushing into it. That's why the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma has a marriage initiative. We are working on it.

And that's good. My concern is that those who proclaim the decline in family values didn't first address the decline in family values within their own homes and churches. That's what these statistics show. If Christians lived out what they preached, the numbers would look starkly different. I've always found it to be good practice for someone to remove the plank out of their own eye before worrying about the speck in their neighbor's eye.

[Dark Jedi]

The Barna Research Group conducted a study in 1999 which included 3,854 adults in 48 states. They found that the most likely group of people to be divorced were non-denominal Christians in the South. The least likely? Atheists, Catholics, Lutherans and agnostics (a tie)

Variation in divorce rates among Christian faith groups:
Denomination (in order of decreasing divorce rate) % who have been divorced

Non-denominational (small conservative groups; independents) 34%
Baptists 29%
Mainline Protestants 25%
Mormons 24%
Catholics 21%
Lutherans 21%

Jews 30%
Born-again Christians 27%
Other Christians 24%
Atheists, Agnostics 21%

The study also found to be completely bunk the theory that 50% of marriages end up in divorce. It's more like a quarter.

4 out of 5 Christian divorce's think gay marriage would ruin the sanctity of marriage.

[NE Oasis]

And that's good. My concern is that those who proclaim the decline in family values didn't first address the decline in family values within their own homes and churches. That's what these statistics show. If Christians lived out what they preached, the numbers would look starkly different. I've always found it to be good practice for someone to remove the plank out of their own eye before worrying about the speck in their neighbor's eye.

Could not have said it better myself!
After two trips to divorce court I find it very interesting (and disappointing)than many Christians "church shop" to find a Pastor that does not require pre-material counselling prior to marraige. If you haven't been married before it can't hurt, and if you have been, you really need it.

[Midtowner]

4 out of 5 Christian divorce's think gay marriage would ruin the sanctity of marriage.

Source/relevance?

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

Source/relevance?

Sarcasm/irony?

[bandnerd]

That's kind of a narrow generalization. Christian couples get married because it's expected. If they were non-Christian, they would probably just move in together, but as Christians they won't do that without marrying, but they may not work out long-term.

And that, dear, is also a narrow generalization.

[Martin]

i think christian couples get married for all sorts of reasons... many are the same reasons that anybody else would get married. i do think there is some additional pressure since christianity generally frowns on sex before marriage... i've known plenty of good, honest people that were married too early for their own good due to this pressure... and suffered difficulty as a result.

-M

[Dark Jedi]

Source/relevance?

Humor. (Ok, biting sarcasm. Still humor.)
I get a kick out of all these trice-divorced Christians screaming gay marriage will ruin the sanctity of marriage. Hypocrisy at it's best.

[Misty]

My gay friends have the strongest relationships of ANY of my friends, particularly stronger than my Christian friend's relationships. Before anyone gets all bent out of shape, this is just fact in my circle of friends, I'm not saying it's that way in everyone else's.