Divorce rate and prayer, where does this stat come from?

[geebob]

I had a friend who took a marriage class at college and he said that in the course, he was told that only 1 percent of couples who pray together get divorced. I've seen a few other similar stats around the internet but can't find reference to a study. Does anyone have an idea about this?

[Moksha]

I had a friend who took a marriage class at college and he said that in the course, he was told that only 1 percent of couples who pray together get divorced. I've seen a few other similar stats around the internet but can't find reference to a study. Does anyone have an idea about this?

Studies I have seen suggest no difference between Christian rates of divorce and anyone else.

[technomage]

Somebody pulled the statistic out of thin air. It has no basis in evidence.

[Pilgrim]

Studies I have seen suggest no difference between Christian rates of divorce and anyone else.

That wasn't the question. The question was about divorce rate and prayer. And it's not pulled out of thin air. I was in a seminar for marriage counselors and the author of one study was quoted. The study found that only one in 1200 couples that regularly and intentionally prayed together divorced. Of course the reasons are not agreed upon. Is it because there is some sort of divine intervention? Is it because such intimate communication fosters growth and bonding? I think yes.

[technomage]

I was in a seminar for marriage counselors and the author of one study was quoted. The study found that only one in 1200 couples that regularly and intentionally prayed together divorced. Of course the reasons are not agreed upon. Is it because there is some sort of divine intervention? Is it because such intimate communication fosters growth and bonding?

Do you have a citation?

[CodewordConduit]

Are the sorts of couples who pray out loud together the sorts of couples who believe that divorce is even acceptable?

[technomage]

Are the sorts of couples who pray out loud together the sorts of couples who believe that divorce is even acceptable?

it's probable that a minority of Christians believe that divorce is acceptable--even many of those Christians who have been through one feel that they have "failed."

[CodewordConduit]

it's probable that a minority of Christians believe that divorce is acceptable--even many of those Christians who have been through one feel that they have "failed."

Oh definitely, there are some that agree it's acceptable for physical/mental abuse and infidelity, then some that believe it's only okay in cases of infidelity, some that think that only a man can divorce his wife, and then those who believe it's never acceptable.

I just wondered whether the types that pray aloud together are more towards the last two options above, and are therefore less likely to have an actual divorce rather than legal separation or just staying together because they promised.

I wonder how many Christians approve of divorcing simply because the very presence of your significant other makes you yawn yourself to death

(I know a few peeps who married for reasons mainly down to physical attraction, and are now in their late 40s/early 50s, who feel that way. There's a lesson there, eh?)

[Pilgrim]

Do you have a citation?

The presenters of the seminar were a couple names David and Jan Stoop. If I remember correctly they used to book, one their own, "When Couples Pray Together" and another, I can't remember the author but the title was, "A Lasting Promise."

I don't know if I still have the notes from that around. I'll browse through my files.

At any rate, the contention that prayer helps is a common sense one from the communication aspect alone. in prayer the communication is intensely intimate and the baring of ones soul to another is far more profound than the baring of ones skin in my opinion. I'd imagine though, that the statistic would be higher across the population and not just for Christians. That is to say, if other religions encourage partnered prayer or even meditation then couples in those sub groups would show lower rates of divorce too.

[Pilgrim]

Are the sorts of couples who pray out loud together the sorts of couples who believe that divorce is even acceptable?

My experience is that that "belief" is not an major indicator. People say the believe a lot of things but when push comes to shove often act differently than they confess.

And of course, as a pastor and one who counsels couples, even though I always counsel towards reconcilliation I recognize that some times divorce is the only option. Even people who don't see divorce as acceptable typically understand that there are some situations where it is unavoidable.

[Pilgrim]

it's probable that a minority of Christians believe that divorce is acceptable--even many of those Christians who have been through one feel that they have "failed."

I would say that a majority of Christians believe its acceptable given the right circumstance. What a majority don't believe is that divorce should be easy or quickly counseled for.

And, in reality, if you divorce, in some sense, you have failed by definition. You make a promise, a commitment and the promise is broken or the commitment not kept and that means that in some ways you did not achieve your goal. But it's like so many other things in life. Having missed the mark you evaluate to see what needs to be different in your life the next time around and you apply that evaluation. For the Christian it also means seeking God's grace in the midst of the failure and knowing that as you move forward God's grace covers you. So even though its a failure of some sort, that's ok because there's always hope.

[Jedidiah]

. . . some that think that only a man can divorce his wife,

Whoa! This is a new one to me.

[SlapShot]

The stats I saw on the internet is that atheists have lower divorce rates than theists.

[Pilgrim]

linky? The over all rate of divorce for couple currently marrying, across sub groups, hovers around 50 percent.

[CodewordConduit]

Whoa! This is a new one to me.

Really? It's the more prevelant stance amongst strict conservative Christians (no "F" word here ). A woman can request that her husband divorce her, but he must grant it.

First site I found when I simply googled "can a woman divorce a man"...

http://www.christianmarriage.com/hom...e=News&sid=121

...has that perspective.