Myth Exposed: Christian Divorce Rate NOT the Same as the World's

Teresa Neumann : Mar 2, 2011
Glenn T. Stanton - Baptist Press

"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, 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." -Glenn T. Stanton

(Colorado Springs, Co.)—Glenn T. Stanton, director of family formation studies at Focus on the Family, has deconstructed the common myth that "Christians divorce at roughly the same rate as the world!"

As reported in Baptist Press News, that oft-quoted contention is simply not true, because in actuality, "many people who seriously practice a traditional religious faith—be it Christian or other—have a divorce rate markedly lower than the general population."

According to the report, the factor making the most difference is religious commitment and practice: "Couples who regularly practice any combination of serious religious behaviors and attitudes—attend church nearly every week, read their Bibles and spiritual materials regularly; pray privately and together; generally take their faith seriously, living not as perfect disciples, but serious disciples—enjoy significantly lower divorce rates than mere church members, the general public and unbelievers." (Photo by: Leia Mendes Cook)

Professor Scott Stanley from the University of Denver, working with a team of leading sociologists on the Oklahoma Marriage Study, said: "Whether young or old, male or female, low-income or not, those who said that they were more religious reported higher average levels of commitment to their partners, higher levels of marital satisfaction, less thinking and talking about divorce and lower levels of negative interaction. These patterns held true when controlling for such important variables as income, education, and age at first marriage."

Click on the link provided to read this report in its entirety.