Divorce rates and the church

Many have heard that divorce rates inside the church is not much different than those outside the church, however, if we delve closer into these statistics we see another picture.

http://brewright.blogspot.com/2006/12/divorce-rates-among-christians-by.html

These are the percentages of people who get divorces:

49% never go to church
46% go once a year or so
42% go once a month
41% go one to three times a month
31% go nearly every week
27% go every week

If we look at these statistics we see a great difference based upon weekly attendance. What does this say if anything?

My first gut reaction is, if you attend church weekly you worry about what other people think of you, so you're less likely to suffer the public embarrassment of divorce than relaxed individuals who don't care what others think.

My second, more considered reaction is, that divorce generally tends to separate people from their past lives. In their new lives they're less likely to follow the behaviour patterns they were brought up in. That's true of a lot of behaviours. We've all seen the newly divorced man buying a sports car and acquiring a dumb blonde bimbo girlfriend.

Originally posted by whodey
What does this say if anything?

Based on these two posts I guess it says if you want a new life, a sports car and blond, don't go to church.

Divorce can either be one of the worst things that happens in your life, or one of the best things that happens in your life [or, indeed, an event whose ramifications lie somewhere/anywhere between those two extremes]. This fact undermines almost any attempt to generalize or moralize about divorce and divorce rates.

Originally posted by whodey
Many have heard that divorce rates inside the church is not much different than those outside the church, however, if we delve closer into these statistics we see another picture.

http://brewright.blogspot.com/2006/12/divorce-rates-among-christians-by.html

These are the percentages of people who get divorces:

49% never go to church
46% go once a yea ...[text shortened]... tistics we see a great difference based upon weekly attendance. What does this say if anything?

I can't seem to get to the "General Social Survey" link that the data are from. Help, Whodey?

But in general, we are all interpreting according to our preconceived beliefs, if we are so presumptious to do so.

Edit: but it looks like if I am 24/7 at church, I will never divorce.

Originally posted by whodey
What does this say if anything?

Religion keeps people stuck in unhappy marriages.
People who can't divorce because of religion, need to pray about it.
In general I think you will find the most regular Church goers are using it as an escape from an unhappy domestic life.

Or, as others have suggested, the statistics are skewed by the fact that many people go to church because they are married (either they think their spouse wants them to go, or they think it is 'the right thing' etc) and will stop going after a divorce. Add to this the fact that they will also be ashamed or shamed and will at a minimum want to change which Church they go to.
I think we really need to look at how those statistics were gathered. Your source looks at people who are currently divorced and not attending Church. It says nothing about whether they were attending Church prior to divorce. It is quite possible to obtain the exact same statistics with a Church that is causing divorce but people leave after the divorce.
There may even be an age factor. If your most regular Church goers are newly married young people, then we would expect the exact same statistical pattern. Certainly most of the people I can think of who are divorced follow that pattern (regular Church goer when young, followed by disillusion and reduced attendance in later life, accompanied by divorce).

Originally posted by whodey
49% never go to church
46% go once a year or so
42% go once a month
41% go one to three times a month
31% go nearly every week
27% go every week

If we look at these statistics we see a great difference based upon weekly attendance. What does this say if anything?

You didnt include the stat for those that go more than once a week.
Why?


From the stats you have given I would draw the conclusion that church has a
27% - 46% failure rate

Originally posted by wolfgang59
You didnt include the stat for those that go more than once a week.
Why?


From the stats you have given I would draw the conclusion that church has a
27% - 46% failure rate

Those who go more than once a week is 28%. Compare that to 27% who go every week. There is not much difference between the two.

I guess the data shows me that those who are devoted to going to church every week experience a dramatic fall in divorce rates. However, those that go to church more on a whim and on convenience are more prone to divorce.

Originally posted by FMF
Divorce can either be one of the worst things that happens in your life, or one of the best things that happens in your life [or, indeed, an event whose ramifications lie somewhere/anywhere between those two extremes]. This fact undermines almost any attempt to generalize or moralize about divorce and divorce rates.

Indeed. Divorce can enhance ones own life. I've seen it more than once.

However, for the Christian devoted to following his God, life is not all about personal happiness. Sometimes Christians feel as though they are asked to take up their cross. In fact, all Christians are called to do so.

This means getting up and going to church every Suday and seeking their God. This means trying to mend relationships, even if the other party has wronged you and may try to do so again. If so, then they are called to turn the other cheek and start over etc.

What drives them to act in this way? I suppose many think it is out of fear, but I say for a great majority it is for the love of Christ. This "love" comes in various forms of devotion. Those more devoted will be more likely to give up personal convenience to please their Lord.

Originally posted by whodey
Many have heard that divorce rates inside the church is not much different than those outside the church, however, if we delve closer into these statistics we see another picture.

http://brewright.blogspot.com/2006/12/divorce-rates-among-christians-by.html

These are the percentages of people who get divorces:

49% never go to church
46% go once a yea ...[text shortened]... tistics we see a great difference based upon weekly attendance. What does this say if anything?

From what I gather, when people speak of divorce rates "inside the church" not being much different than those "outside the church" they are usually speaking of Christians vs. non-Christians.

However, the stats you've provided are the divorce rates amongst Christians only.

I suspect that you might be confused here.

Originally posted by whodey
Those more devoted will be more likely to give up personal convenience to please their Lord.

I like the way you say 'personal convenience' when what you really mean is allowing your spouse to cheat on you as much as he/she wants, or beat your up regularly.

My wife and I have been married for 46 years and neither one of us have ever been disvorced. I remember attending my grandparents 50 year wedding anniverary party when I was young. They were never divorced. They had 16 children and only two of them had divorces. Unforunately one was my mother. So I was raised by my grandparents. I know very little about my father's side of the family, except that he was only divorced that one time, like my mother.

Originally posted by whodey
Many have heard that divorce rates inside the church is not much different than those outside the church, however, if we delve closer into these statistics we see another picture.

http://brewright.blogspot.com/2006/12/divorce-rates-among-christians-by.html

These are the percentages of people who get divorces:

49% never go to church
46% go once a yea ...[text shortened]... tistics we see a great difference based upon weekly attendance. What does this say if anything?

That is over 200%. Are you sure that is correct?

P.S. Something seems fishy.

Originally posted by whodey
I guess the data shows me that those who are devoted to going to church every week experience a dramatic fall in divorce rates. However, those that go to church more on a whim and on convenience are more prone to divorce.

The data shows no such thing. Your conclusion may be right, but as I already pointed out, the data is not collected in such a way as to be able to determine whether that is the case or not.