“Living together before marriage no longer a predictor of divorce” was the headline of page 21A of my local newspaper last Thursday. The AP article reports on some of the findings of a recent marriage survey of 22,000 men and women. The number of couples living together before marriage has grown from around 10% in the 1960s to around 60% today. While a generation ago those who cohabited before marriage were more apt to divorce than those who did not, today there is no longer a significant difference in divorce rates among the groups.
So What?
Many religious traditions have specific marital preparation ideals. What preparatory experiences (within your tradition) do you believe are most likely linked to marriage longevity?
Many Christian congregations and denominations have very specific views about cohabitation. How would you describe your congregation’s view? Does your view differ and, if so, how and why?