Why do Baptists and other fundamentalists have the highest divorce rate?

Question

What about conservative Christianity is dangerous to marriage?

(Atheists and agnostics are much less likely to have participated in a divorce.)

http://www.divorcereform.org/mel/rbaptisthigh.html

(This is US data.)

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Answer 1

...a man must make himself as cruel as the god he worships. The god fundies worship is a jerk, and so they sink to his level.

Answer 2

Interesting data...thanx. I think it is due to pressure put upon ppl that are too young to get married because of the taboo regarding premarital sex. Christians are also very intolerant due to their faith, therefore I would expect that intolerance to extend into their personal relationships. Also, in my opinion the religion of christianity does not foster personal responsibility within it's members. They have a scapegoat for everything that goes wrong and an escape hatch in 'forgiveness' and 'we aren't perfect'. They also have a float for choppy waters that says 'it's god's will' or 'I'm being tested'. Most christians I know do not own their actions and take full responsibility or have any personal power. These things add up to miserable, failed relationships. I think it is also important to note that many christian couples that stay married are miserable as well, but stay because they are 'supposed' too. I think commitment has a different meaning for christians too. When everything can be underwritten by salvation or has horrible punishments attached to it...it tends to skew your perceptions.

Atheists and agnostics do what is right for the sake of doing what is right...not because they are commanded to, or out of fear of retribution from an angry god. That makes the commitment of the atheist/agnostic a very different and beautiful thing. Atheists and agnostics are also usually highly educated and believe in responsibility....those are good factors for a great relationship built on reality...not so we can hurry up and have sex with 'gods' permission.

Answer 3

It could be because Baptist is the largest denomination and more people are likely to identify with it, even if through culture or upbringing, than any other group. The data can be misleading because it should probably comparing people of different denominations that attend church at least three times a month (or something like that).

In the South, more people are likely to identify themselves as Christian, even when not having attended a church or participated in Christian activities in years. It is a cultural association that does not exist in New England and the West Coast, that feels no pressure to think of Christianity in honorific terms.

Answer 4

Baptists aren't considered fundamentalists, but the divorce rate is high among all religions as well as atheists and others.

Answer 5

I think religion in it's own way puts so many restrictions and constraints on marriage to being equally yoked to waiting until marriage to explore sexual compatibility. I think a lot of it comes down to sexual compatibility, if you find out drives are different after marriage as to before it will put more stress on the marriage because those of us that find out before marriage that we aren't sexually compatible won't take it that far. So, they become disillusioned and then seek what they don't have.

Answer 6

What you did not point out is that Catholics have a divorce rate comparable to agnoistics and atheists.

Catholicism is not dangerous to marriage.

Answer 7

Because even their spouses can't stand to be around them--the main problem with baptists is that they don't hold them under long enough............

Answer 8

How long could YOU live with some holier-than-thou asshole?

Answer 9

that's in the fashion