Have we relegated reason, resolve, right and wrong to reticence and retirement? Something is wrong, very wrong. When marriages of believers are failing and now equal the rate of non-believers, when professing believers are overcome and overwhelmed, submitting to sin and not selflessness, has not the glory of Christ been tarnished?
Here is an excerpt from research done by the Barna group:
Divorce Is Widespread
Among adults who have been married, the study discovered that one-third (33%) have experienced at least one divorce. That means that among all Americans 18 years of age or older, whether they have been married or not, 25% have gone through a marital split.
The study showed that the percentage of adults who have been married and divorced varies from segment to segment. For instance, the groups with the most prolific experience of marriage ending in divorce are downscale adults (39%), Baby Boomers (38%), those aligned with a non-Christian faith (38%), African-Americans (36%), and people who consider themselves to be liberal on social and political matters (37%).
Among the population segments with the lowest likelihood of having been divorced subsequent to marriage are Catholics (28%), evangelicals (26%), upscale adults (22%), Asians (20%) and those who deem themselves to be conservative on social and political matters (28%).
Born again Christians who are not evangelical were indistinguishable from the national average on the matter of divorce: 33% have been married and divorced. The survey did not determine if the divorce occurred before or after the person had become born again. However, previous research by Barna has shown that less than two out of every ten people who accept Christ as their savior do so after their first marriage.
In fact, when evangelicals and non-evangelical born again Christians are combined into an aggregate class of born again adults, their divorce figure is statistically identical to that of non-born again adults: 32% versus 33%, respectively.
Thirty percent of atheists and agnostics had been married and subsequently divorced. However, the three-point difference from the national average was within the range of sampling error, suggesting that their likelihood of experiencing a dissolved marriage is the same as that of the population at-large. A representative from Barna also pointed out the atheists and agnostics have lower rates of marriage and a higher likelihood of cohabitation, a combination of behaviors that distort comparisons with other segments.
http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/15-familykids/42-new-marriage-and-divorce-statistics-released (click on link to take you there!)
I put the directly quoted article in my blog because many will not choose to 'check' the validity of my statement; yet another sad state of our current culture. (We tend to believe what we hear from usually credible non-primary sources...not good). I even put the link you can click on to take you there...will you check it out for yourself after you read this blog? In fact, I would love it if others would find valid research that confirms or denies this blog's premise.
There are plenty of 'gems' in the rest of this article and should be a must read for believers!!!
A previous blog addresses a lack of passion, another living life in defeat. A short while ago a friend shared that non-believers have little desire to join the ranks of the righteous because those who proclaim to be followers of the righteousness of Christ lack any demonstration of difference, power, passion or otherwise that would woo a person to be a part of His kingdom. The sting still stirs in my heart. Yet God has placed in my heart a desire to demonstrate the direct difference Jesus, with the power, presence and purification the Holy Spirit brings into my life. I deeply desire the true transformation that truth and trust in Christ can conquer my careless and contaminated heart. I am not assured in this life that the sting will stop stirring, but I long for it and press ahead, knowing that someday soon it will for some of us.
These kind of articles get my goat and my heart!!People don't realize how sacred a marriage is. I know that because I was married to two men who obviously didn't know. My first marriage, getting pregnant in high school had strikes against it lasting to begin with. His 7 year itch went to another women at work. So I came out here in 1979 and lived with a guy before I married and worshipped the ground he walked on. He was the worst person for my children and me. I loved him so much because he made me laugh. That was a Huge stinger, he liked other women too. It still stings in my heart but with God it has lessoned tremendously. I went around searching and when I got pregant with the girls I said self talk to God. Who would think that at 36 being an unwed mother would be a blessing! I can sit for hours and let my memories take me thru the years and I have got to know God more and more, putting my trust in him. He has given me the love and comfort for years. He's given me the desire to wait for a truly christian man to grow old with, (at least I hope thats in his plan for me). I have never dated a christian man and it's like how is it done? Is it any different? People sadly go into a marriage thinking if it doesn't work we'll just get divorced. Since my values or morals are different now , and I see the little kids from these relationship, and I just cringe. I see it in my own family with my older children and I just keep praying and I am totatlly apologizing to them because of what a failure I was as a parent to them, but at that time I really didn't know but it was still wrong. Being on both sides of these stats I am so thankful that I am on the right path! Thank You God!! I pray people open there eyes. It is not boring being a christian and you get another family!! There's no wrong in that picture.
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