Evangelical Context May Contribute to Divorce, says Baylor Sociologist

Associated Baptist Press ^ | 2/13/14 | Jeff Brumley

[marshmallow]

Analysis suggests that early marriage contributes to conservative Protestants divorcing at higher rates than most other Americans.

It’s been known for years that American conservative Protestants divorce at the same or higher rates than either more moderate Christians or those of no religious affiliation at all. But a Baylor University professor said sociologists are getting closer to understanding why.

One of the prevailing theories, appearing in journals and other studies, is that conservative evangelicals tend to be in lower income brackets, opening them up to higher levels of marital stress and to the likelihood of divorce, said Jerry Park, associate professor of sociology at Baylor.

Park recently compiled 50 years of research data on religious changes and trends, including the rise of the so-called “nones” (Americans of no religious affiliation), gender and race issues and divorce rates among believers.

Park told ABPnews/Herald that it was no surprise to find that divorce rates among evangelicals exceed other portions of U.S. society, including those with no stated faith at all.

[fwdude]

“Park told ABPnews/Herald that it was no surprise to find that divorce
rates among evangelicals exceed other portions of U.S. society...”

Sounds pretty strongly like he had a pre-ordained conclusion already swirling in his head with that statement.

[circlecity]

Perhaps it’s because fewer conservative Evangelicals (and Christians in general) just shack up with each other prefering to get married. Thus the rate of divorce is skewed higher becuase all the secular couples who shack up for a few years then walk away from each other aren’t counted.

[longtermmemmory]

or perhaps they are looking for somethng that does not exist.

Evangelical churches can be personality driven and come and go over the years. (look at all the tele evangelists for example.)

Either way this has all the pre-written conclusion language of the usual “some say”, “claim”, “discovered” without any real science.

correlation does not mean causation.

(btw: because the USSC now allows recreational sex fetish based marriage, does this mean all those homosexual intermittant relationships get counted in this skewed mess?)

[circlecity]

"Evangelical churches can be personality driven and come and go over the years. (look at all the tele evangelists for example.)"

I wouldn't necessarily agree with that. Most of the televangelists are Charismatics or prosperity Gospel preachers, neither of which are Evangelicals as that term is used. Most of the Baptist, non-denominational and conservative Presbytarian churches I've attended and vistited over the years have been quite stable and decidedly not personality driven other than by the personalilty of Christ.

[jettester]

These statistics have been debunked. 8 out 10 people claim they are “Christians” but what does that really mean? When you go deeper and ask those that actually practice their faith, the divorce rate goes down considerably.

[Salvation]

No sacrament — no covenant love.

Is this what makes the difference?

[Mrs. Don-o]

"No sacrament — no covenant love."

Salvation, I think the premise here is incorrect. Any given Cristian community which does not hold that marriage is a Sacrament, may and probably does still teach that it is a covenant. This is true even if they were not baptized.

Moreover, any valid marriage between two baptized persons IS, de facto, a Sacramental marriage, even if they don't use that word. So, for the most part, most of these Evangelicals who divorce HAD been joined in the Sacrament of Matrimony.

[xzins]

There is no doubt that divorce itself is far higher than a century ago, even half a century ago.

So, legal changes in the nation opened doors for a flood of divorce throughout the entire culture. IOW, something that prevented divorce was removed, so divorce became easier.

I would look at things that either make divorce easier or that encourage divorce as the reason for any group divorcing at a higher rate.

[xzins]

Additionally, something I learned when look at research on religions, it’s always good to discover what their research definition of “evangelical” is.