Do atheists and agnostics really have lower divorce rates than religious people?

Question

I heard that somewhere. Is it true?

Answer 1

I do not know if this is true or not. But I would like to know if a survey was done, if they took into consideration external factors. Such as couples living out of wedlock may be higher in the other groups listed. Which could give these groups lower divorce rates over all.


Thanks MELT- I didn't realize you had already brought this up in your answer.

Answer 2

Unfortunately, yes. However (and not to defend the problem with mainstream Christianity), I wonder if the survey added non-christians who are not married and who sleep around with multiple partners. If those people were married would the statistics be different?

Unfortunately, the American Christian Church has failed to address the needs of its members or to adjust to a culture which can be so demanding and attractive. Christians are just as fallen as anyone else. Often, after divorce and abuse happen those individuals begin to go to church. Are those people included in the statistics?

Thanksfully, the church is also a hospital. It is where broken, divorced, liars, thieves, and prostitutes can go. It needs to also be a place where the seeking, the lesbian, the bisexual, the broken hearted and all the rest should be able to go. It is my desire to see more imperfect people in our Christian churches than those who are pretending to be perfect. In doing so, the issue might not be in the statistics but the results will be changed lives.

Answer 3

According to the article below it looks like it is true or close to some other groups. Actual types of religion group have the same rate but overall the agnostic's and atheists showed the lowest rate. Now me I would have to do more reasearch as it depends on who is doing the survey but it looks to be real.

Answer 4

A recent study by the Barna Research Group throws extreme doubt on these estimates. Barna released the results of their poll about divorce on 1999-DEC-21. 1 They had interviewed 3,854 adults from the 48 contiguous states. The margin of error is within 2 percentage points. The survey found:

Divorce rates among conservative Christians were significently higher than for other faith groups, and for Atheists and Agnostics.

Denomination (in order of decreasing divorce rate) % who have been divorced
Non-denominational (small conservative groups; independents) 34%
Baptists 29%
Mainline Protestants 25%
Mormons 24%
Catholics 21%
Lutherans 21%
Jews 30%

Born-again Christians 27%
Other Christians 24%
Atheists, Agnostics 21%

Answer 5

I heard the same thing. I just read that the highest rate of divorce is in the bible belt and only 1% of couples that pray together, stay together. So my answer would be a resounding yes!

Answer 6

Variation in divorce rates among Christian faith groups:

Non-denominational (small conservative groups; independents) 34%
Baptists 29%
Mainline Protestants 25%
Mormons 24%
Catholics 21%
Lutherans 21%

Variation in divorce rates by religion:

Jews 30%
Born-again Christians 27%
Other Christians 24%
Atheists, Agnostics 21%


so in general yes, but atheists are tied with Catholics and Lutherans


to respond to "Frankly - Joshua 1:8"

Myths and Facts

Myth: People who commit suicide are mentally ill.

Fact: people who commit suicide are usually very depressed or emotionally upset, but this is not the same as being "crazy" or mentally ill.

Myth: Good circumstances -- having a comfortable home, a good job, or being a good student--prevent suicide.

Fact: Suicide cuts across class, race, age, and sexual orientation differences, though its frequency varies among different groups in society. For example, suicide and suicide attempts among gay males and lesbians is considerably higher than among heterosexual youth (due to societal homophobia and heterosexism).

Myth: People who talk about suicide won't commit suicide.

Fact: People who die by suicide almost always talk about suicide first, or give clues and warnings about their intention through their behavior, even though the clues may not be recognized at the time.

Myth: People who threaten suicide cut their wrists, or don't succeed are just looking for attention and are not a risk for suicide.

Fact: The majority of people who succeed in killing themselves have a history of previous suicide attempts. All threats and attempts are "cries for help" and should be taken seriously. Failure to answer a "cry for help" may precipitate another attempt. Anyone desperate enough to make a suicide attempt most surely needs more attention than he or she is currently receiving.

Myth: Talking about suicide to people who are upset will put the idea in their heads.

Fact: Suicide is much too complex a process to occur as a result of a sincere and caring person asking a question about suicidal intent.

Myth: When gay and lesbian people recognize the "sinfulness" of their life, most of them kill themselves.

Fact: Though a significant number of gay and lesbian youth commit suicide or make suicide attempts, they do so most often because of the prejudice, hatred, and sometimes violence they have endured from mainstream society. Just like racial identity or being male or female, sexual orientation is not something a person chooses. When societal attitudes toward gay males, lesbians, and bisexuals change from rejection to acceptance and support, their rates of self-destructive behavior most likely will decrease.


Joshua
1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Why don’t you practice what you preach? those are som every arogant "holly than thou" statments you have there with no proof.

but yet you clame to speek the truth? exatly why i am no longer christian

Answer 7

It is on religioustolerence.org if you want to look it up and yes it is true. It is a pretty small difference and it is mostly because atheists marry a lot older on the average.

Added: http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_dira.htm

Answer 8

I've not heard this, you have multiple sources we could use to compare data amongst countries and regions and religions...cos that would be like so cool if we could see the data without guessing

Answer 9

no but the do have higher gay rates then religious people. And they have more STD's then religious people. They have a higher suicide rate then religious people. They have a higher alcoholism rate then religious people.

And they have a lower marriage rate than religious people.

They don't like you to know that and be sure, some of them who read this will report me and I will get a violation notice.

But you asked, I love sharing the truth, so let the chips fall where they fall.

Answer 10

No. Overall there is less divorce among atheists and agnostics, because there are less of them in general and they are less likely to get married at all. However, I know the study you're talking about it's right here:

http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_dira.htm