Yes, you read that right. According to Jennifer “Glass and her fellow researchers concluded that the conservative religious culture is in fact a major contributing factor thanks to ‘the social institutions they create’ that ‘decrease marital stability.’ Specifically, putting pressure on young people to marry sooner, frowning upon cohabitation before marriage, teaching abstinence-only sex education and making access to resources like emergency contraception more difficult all result in earlier childbearing ages and less-solid marriages from the get-go, Glass writes in the paper.”

This article was written a few years ago but I’m sure her “findings” haven’t changed. In fact, if you google, “Christians divorce rate” you will find numerous articles saying that Christian’s divorce rate is higher than the general public. The sad thing is they are probably right since many people believe they are Christians just because they are American. My Pastor was sitting by a man who he began talking to and when the man heard my Pastor tell him that he was a Christian, the man exclaimed, “So you watch Fox News!”

No, being a Christian doesn’t mean you watch Fox News. It means you believe that God came down to earth in the flesh, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again to save us from the wrath to come so we could have eternal life. Then you live your life in obedience to Him for we are known by the fruit we produce. Our obedience doesn’t save us. Christ saves us but we show we are saved by the way we live.

Glenn Stanton wrote an article explaining that the finding of these “studies” proving Christians divorce more are wrong. “

“Many people who seriously practice a traditional religious faith – be it Christian or other – have a divorce rate markedly lower than the general population.

The factor making the most difference is religious commitment and practice.

The intuitive is true! 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.”

True, Bible believing and practicing Christians have a much lower divorce rate than others but it is still probably way too high since we are called to forgive 70 X 7 times, love even our enemies, and be committed for life until death do us part. But let me dispel the “causes” of divorce for Christians that Ms. Glass spoke about. Marrying sooner does not cause divorce. My parents and all of their friends married quite early, along with most in prior generations and the divorce rates were much lower.

Studies have proved that cohabitation leads to much greater chance of divorce. “However, counter-intuitively, many studies have found that premarital cohabitation is associated with increased risk of divorce, a lower quality of marriage, poorer marital communication, and higher levels of domestic violence.”

“Teaching abstinence-only sex education and making access to resources like emergency contraception more difficult… result in… less-solid marriages.” Oh, yes, because having sex with a lot of people before marriage and using the birth control pill has zero side effects and just gives couples a lot of practice? Anyone who believes this has zero wisdom. God’s Word is where we find wisdom and our Creator tells us exactly the opposite.

Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.
Hebrews 13:4