RE: Isn’t it time to drop this Catholic VS Evangelical feud?
The article never mentions any feud at all. If a feud starts, it will be because someone in this thread starts posting something touting his denomination and disparaging the other.
The author is already disparaging Evangelicals.
If someone is going to poke a sharp stick in the eye of the Evangelicals, they have no basis for complaints when Evangelicals poke back.
Be realistic. Most only seem to read the headline and excerpt, and this is a war zone due to the incessant promotion of papists promoting their elitist org and attacking Protestant and evangelical faith, and who seek ammo against them, esp. in the light of the fact that the fruit of Rome is overall much more liberal .
Thus if you post an article with the headline, "Are Evangelicals Bad for Marriage?," you can expect a reaction akin to posting, "Are Catholics Bad for Marriage?"
But reading the article, we see that "evangelical" refers to those
"who continue to try to link not only children and marriage but also sex and marriage. The red-family model [which] abhors abortion, embraces abstinence education, worries about pushing contraception for unmarried teens (at least), and discourages divorce. And as
"divorce rates are higher in red states than in blue states. Conservative Protestant family values, they conclude, are bad for marriage: The blue-family model, Carbone and Cahn argue, is more successful at protecting marriage."
And thus by linking conservative values to faith and then to divorce rates it is really is saying that liberals are better at marriage. Thus liberal District of Columbia and MA (1+2 in lowest divorce rate) are better for marriage than Nevada and Oklahoma (the highest)*. But such marriages which product liberal 1.7 children families are bad for the nation. .
And of course, when people just cohabit in fornication, there is no marriage and thus no divorce.
However, race and economic factors are highly determinative. Lowest income helps one realize their need for God, and is where religious faith is strongest.
And broken down by race and ethnicity, the study found Asian women have the lowest first divorce rate at 10 divorces per 1,000 women in a first marriage. The first divorce rates of white and Hispanic women were similar at 16.3 and 18.1, respectively. African-American women have substantially higher rates of first divorce compared to all other racial and ethnic groups, at 30.4 divorces per 1,000 women in a first marriage...
The association between education and divorce is also curvilinear. The least (no high school diploma or GED) and the highest (college degree) educated women share the lowest rate of first divorce, with 14.4 and 14.2 per 1,000, respectively. - http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111103161830.htm?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed
Meanwhile, as the article points out,
Charles E. Stokes, Amber Lapp, and David Lapp looked at divorce risk among religiously affiliated people who marry “early” (ages 18 to 26) and found that for both conservative Protestants and Catholics, church attendance (but not affiliation) dramatically reduces divorce.
Moreover [not in article], those who identify themselves as being conservative on social and political matters lower divorce rates (28%) than those liberal on social and political matters (37%). — http://www.barna.org/family-kids-articles/42-new-marriage-and-divorce-statistics-released
As regards Catholic versus Evangelical, this article attributes the higher divorce rate to "encouraging early family formation, less education," and which thus attacks conservative Catholics.
Meanwhile Catholics use contraception at a rate close to evangelicals (who did miss the boat on this), and as regards divorce rates,
the percentage of percentage of adults Protestants who have been married and divorced is 34% versus 28% for Catholics, while Evangelicals were at 26%. Atheists or agnostic were at 30% (only 65% were ever married, vs. 84% for born-again Christians) while those aligned with a non-Christian faith were at 38%. The largest disparity (17%) relative to divorce was between high and low income levels (22% to 39%). — http://www.barna.org/family-kids-articles/42-new-marriage-and-divorce-statistics-released
In addition, considering the wide scope of possible reasons why a marriage may be annulled, as an est. 400,000 marriages have been annulled since 1970 (http://articles.philly.com/1986-05-08/news/26049605_1_annulments-divorced-catholics-marriage), then how many RCs today are possibly in invalid marriages, though canon law presumes all marriages are valid until proven invalid?
*
The following lists the number of divorces annually per 1,000 population in each state:
| State | Marriage rate | Divorce rate[1] | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 2000 | 2006 | 2008 | 2010 | 2011 | 1999 | 2000 | 2006 | 2008 | 2010 | 2011 | |
| District of Columbia | 8.2 | 6.1 | 6.6 | 4.9 | 6.2 | 5.1 | 4.5 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 2.4 |
| Massachusetts | 7.9 | 7.1 | 6.2 | 5.8 | 6.2 | 5.9 | 2.8 | 2.2 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.5 |
| Georgia | 10.3 | 8.4 | 7.8 | 6.8 | 6.1 | 6.5 | 5.5 | 5.1 | 4.1 | 3.3 | 3.1 | 2.5 |
| Illinois | 8.8 | 6.9 | 7.0 | 6.9 | 7.2 | 6.6 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 2.9 |
| North Dakota | 7.5 | 7.1 | 6.6 | 7.2 | 6.5 | 6.8 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 4.4 | 3.4 | 2.9 | 3.0 |
| Pennsylvania | 7.1 | 6.2 | 6.1 | 6.0 | 5.8 | 5.7 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.1 |
| Minnesota | 7.7 | 7.0 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.6 | 6.5 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.1 |
| Iowa | 9.0 | 7.7 | 7.9 | 6.9 | 7.1 | 6.9 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.1 |
| Wisconsin | 7.9 | 7.0 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.5 | 6.3 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.2 |
| Rhode Island | 8.1 | 7.3 | 7.5 | 7.6 | 8.1 | 7.7 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 2.7 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.2 |
| Connecticut | 7.9 | 6.6 | 5.8 | 5.7 | 5.4 | 5.7 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 3.3 |
| South Dakota | 11.1 | 9.9 | 9.1 | 9.4 | 8.9 | 8.8 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 3.3 |
| New Jersey | 7.6 | 6.5 | 5.9 | 6.0 | 6.4 | 6.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.3 | 3.4 |
| Maryland | 9.7 | 8.4 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.0 | 7.1 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 2.9 | 3.4 |
| New York | 8.6 | 8.0 | 7.3 | 7.1 | 7.6 | 7.3 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 3.3 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 3.4 |
| South Carolina | 15.9 | 11.9 | 10.2 | 10.6 | 9.9 | 9.3 | 4.5 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.4 |
| Delaware | 8.4 | 7.3 | 6.7 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.4 | 4.4 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.5 |
| Kansas | 9.2 | 8.5 | 7.1 | 8.3 | 7.5 | 7.3 | 5.0 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 3.6 |
| Nebraska | 8.0 | 7.3 | 7.5 | 7.6 | 7.9 | 7.5 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.6 |
| Hawaii | 16.4 | 15.7 | 18.9 | 20.6 | 19.6 | 20.7 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 3.7 |
| Michigan | 8.2 | 7.3 | 6.8 | 6.7 | 6.6 | 6.5 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.8 |
| Texas | 10.5 | 9.9 | 9.1 | 9.4 | 9.1 | 8.4 | 5.5 | 5.2 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.9 |
| Ohio | 9.0 | 8.0 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 7.2 | 7.0 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| Montana | 8.6 | 7.6 | 7.4 | 7.3 | 7.1 | 7.2 | 5.1 | 4.8 | 2.8 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.0 |
| Missouri | 9.6 | 8.3 | 8.1 | 7.8 | 7.5 | 7.3 | 5.1 | 5.0 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.0 |
| Utah | 11.2 | 10.7 | 9.6 | 10.8 | 10.2 | 10.4 | 5.1 | 4.4 | 4.0 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.1 |
| Virginia | 11.4 | 10.2 | 9.2 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 8.6 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.2 |
| Vermont | 10.9 | 10.3 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 9.8 | 9.7 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 4.2 |
| New Hampshire | 9.5 | 8.3 | 7.9 | 9.4 | 8.4 | 8.3 | 4.7 | 4.2 | 5.1 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 4.3 |
| New Mexico | 8.8 | 8.8 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 7.6 | 7.9 | 4.9 | 6.6 | 4.6 | 5.1 | 4.9 | 4.4 |
| North Carolina | 7.8 | 8.4 | 8.5 | 8.2 | 7.5 | 7.7 | 5.1 | 5.0 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.5 |
| Washington | 9.5 | 7.7 | 7.2 | 6.9 | 7.0 | 6.5 | 5.9 | 5.4 | 5.0 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.6 |
| Oregon | 8.9 | 8.1 | 7.6 | 7.6 | 7.5 | 7.1 | 5.5 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.6 |
| Alaska | 10.2 | 9.0 | 8.6 | 8.9 | 8.1 | 8.3 | 5.5 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 4.6 |
| Maine | 9.7 | 8.7 | 8. | 8.8 | 8.6 | 8.4 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 5.1 | 5.0 | 4.7 | 4.6 |
| Arizona | 10.0 | 8.8 | 8.2 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 6.6 | 6.9 | 6.2 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.0 | 4.7 |
| Mississippi | 9.4 | 7.9 | 7.8 | 6.9 | 6.5 | 6.4 | 5.5 | 4.8 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.9 |
| Florida | 10.9 | 9.9 | 8.7 | 8.9 | 9.2 | 9.4 | 6.3 | 5.5 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 5.1 |
| Tennessee | 13.9 | 15.5 | 14.7 | 15.5 | 13.5 | 13.1 | 6.5 | 6.2 | 5.8 | 5.9 | 5.2 | 5.1 |
| West Virginia | 7.2 | 6.1 | 7.5 | 8.7 | 7.9 | 8.1 | 5.3 | 5.2 | 4.9 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 5.2 |
| Kentucky | 13.5 | 12.2 | 10.9 | 9.8 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 5.8 | 5.9 | 5.5 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.2 |
| Idaho | 13.9 | 13.1 | 12.1 | 10.8 | 11.2 | 10.9 | 6.5 | 5.8 | 5.4 | 5.5 | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| Wyoming | 10.7 | 10.6 | 9.9 | 10.0 | 10.1 | 9.5 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 5.7 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.4 |
| Alabama | 10.6 | 9.8 | 10.8 | 10.1 | 9.4 | 9.8 | 6.1 | 6.0 | 5.7 | 5.5 | 5.4 | 5.4 |
| Arkansas | 15.3 | 14.4 | 14.8 | 15.4 | 14.3 | 14.3 | 6.9 | 6.3 | 6.2 | 6.4 | 6.2 | 6.2 |
| Nevada | 99.0 | 85.2 | 82.3 | 72.2 | 69.7 | 67.4 | 11.4 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 9.9 | 6.3 | 7.1 |
| Oklahoma | 10.6 | 8.6 | 6.8 | 7.7 | 6.6 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| California[2] | 7.9 | 6.3 | 6.4 | 5.8 | 6.5 | 6.2 | 4.3 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Indiana | 9.6 | 8.6 | 8.1 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 7.8 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Colorado | 9.8 | 9.0 | 8.2 | 8.3 | 8.2 | 7.9 | 5.5 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.7 | – |
| Louisiana | 9.6 | 9.3 | 9.1 | 9.1 | 8.4 | 8.2 | – | – | – | – | – | – |