Christianity and Divorce: Are Christians More Open to Divorce?

By Wendy Jaffe, Esq

Many people turn to religion because they think that it will immunize their marriage from divorce. But statistics don't support that premise. A recent article published on Time magazine's online site discusses the state of divorce in the Evangelical Christian world. According to the article, there is a trend in the Christian world to be a little more lenient where divorce is concerned. Where battered women were once told by clergy to return to their abusive husbands, that is less and less the case.

Check out this interesting article on Time the website and the original article in Christianity Today that prompted the discussion.

So, under what circumstances should religious Christians divorce? Adultery? Drug issues? Gambling? Boredom? What do you think?

Comments

[John]

National demographic studies indicate that couples in which both partners are Latter-day Saints (and who marry in a Latter-day Saint temple) have the lowest divorce rate among all U.S. social and religious groups studied. "The divorce rates for Latter-day Saints who marry in the temple are 5.4 percent for men and 6.5 percent for women." (These may not be the most up-to-date figures available.) But statistics indicate that inter-faith marriages in which one partner is a Latter-day Saint and the other is not are more likely to end in divorce than other interfaith religious combinations studied, except for Jewish/non-Jewish couples. The general Latter-day Saint divorce rate is at or slightly lower than the national average for all marriages in which both partners are Latter-day Saints, if the figures include temple and non-temple marriages and both active and non-active Latter-day Saints. These statistics underscore the important distinction Latter-day Saints make between temple marriages (believed to be eternal and valid beyond death) and non-temple marriages (valid only in this life, comparable to civil marriage or marriage in other denominations). [Sources: Daniel K. Judd. Religion, Mental Health and the Latter-day Saints. Online article about book. Other sources citing the 6% Latter-day Saint temple marriage divorce rate: William Lobdell, Holy Matrimony: In an Era of Divorce Mormon Temple Weddings are Built to Last in Los Angeles Times, 8 April 2000; Dave Condren, New Temple Marks Origin of Mormons in Buffalo News, 27 March 2000.]

Similar results were found in a 1993 study:

A 1993 study published in Demography showed that Mormons marrying within their church are least likely of all Americans to become divorced. Only 13 percent of LDS couples have divorced after five years of marriage, compared with 20 percent for religiously homogamist unions among Catholics and Protestants and 27 percent among Jews.
However, when a Mormon marries outside his or her denomination, the divorce rate soars to 40 percent -- second only to mixed-faith marriages involving a Jewish spouse (42 percent).

Citing a variety of other studies, Duke found that Mormons are the least likely to cohabitate outside of marriage -- 8.2 percent compared with 20 percent to 24 percent for Protestants, 23.1 percent for Catholics, 32.5 percent for Jews and 44.8 percent for nonreligious Americans.

You didn't look at the dedicated Temple marriages vs non temple marriages.
There is a tremendous difference, and should be noted.

[Cherlyn]

This is one reason of which I know:

1 Corinthians 7:10-17
Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband.
1Cr 7:11
But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.
1Cr 7:12
But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her.
1Cr 7:13
And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him.
1Cr 7:14
For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.
1Cr 7:15
But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace.
1Cr 7:16
For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?
1Cr 7:17
But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk. And so I ordain in all the churches.

So, an unbeliever can divorce a believer, but not the other way around.

[Cherlyn]

John,

What Biblical references do Latter-Day Saints offer to back up the claim that temple marriages are eternal?

~Cherlyn

[Terry]

As a Christian whose Christian husband recently divorced me after a couple rounds of adultery in his life and abusiveness, when I was willing to work on our marriage, I have to say it is very difficult to regroup and "move on". My church and friends have been supportive, our children are confused - being raised by a Bible Believing father who lead a double life and did a 180 turn around and refuses reconciliation is very hard for me and for them. Sadly, if any person of any faith divorces thinking "the grass is greener" with another person, as one person put it to me, we must consider what is 1.) Fertilizing that greener grass and 2.) That it's not going to be "better" it's just going to be "different." Mercy, not judgement is helping me with the rejection and anger. I hope this helps someone else out there working through recovery.

[Adam]

Question:John,

What Biblical references do Latter-Day Saints offer to back up the claim that temple marriages are eternal?

~Cherlyn

Answer: The essential function of the priesthood in linking time and eternity was made explicit by the Savior when He formed His Church during His mortal ministry. To His senior Apostle Peter He said, “I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven". Matthew 16:19

[Josh Spurlock]

Christianity as a religion will not help a marriage. Christianity as a relationship with the living God...definitely can transform a marriage for the better.

http://getrelationshiphelp.com/marriage_counseling.html