Of those in the 'NO RELIGION' group, only 19 percent were married, compared to over 50 percent in every other case (except non-denominational, Buddhist, and Muslim). What's interesting is that the number of divorces is still similar for the NO RELIGION group even though the percent married rate is much lower. Notice this is NOT the percentage of marriages ending in divorce. This is the percentage of all people in that group identifying themselves as divorced. Despite the low percentage married, this number is still similar to other groups. It's common sense that people who don't get married don't get divorced. Normalizing the divorce rate would give a number closer to 20 or 25 percent.
%Married........
NO RELIGION 19
NON-DENOMINATIONAL 27
CATHOLIC 60
BAPTIST 58
METHODIST 64
LUTHERAN 68
%Single/Co-habiting
NO RELIGION 22
NON-DENOMINATIONAL 19
CATHOLIC 5
BAPTIST 5
METHODIST 3
LUTHERAN 4
%Divorced/Separated
NO RELIGION 9
NON-DENOMINATIONAL 9
CATHOLIC 9
BAPTIST 12
METHODIST 9
LUTHERAN 7
The degree of co-habitation as opposed to actual marriage suggests an aversion to commitment. The number of breakups is not included in the divorce/separation statistics. It also would have been interesting to see the number of unwed mothers in each group.
Not at all, if you go to the link and go to page 25 there is a table "Switched in / Switched out". From 1990-2001 a lot more people over 18 (Net 5.5 Million) have abandoned religion than found it, Yet the divorce rate has remained constant over this time period. If what you are saying were true than the divorce rate should have skyrocketed.
You talk about 5,000,000 people out of 213,000,000. That's less that 1 percent; negligible. Certainly there is a shift in self-identification toward more secular categorization. That was the main point of the survey and no one has said otherwise. As to the divorce rate skyrocketing see above.
The idea that just because a couple doesn't believe in your God means they can't make a commitment or have a sense of obligation is just so wrong on so many levels.
I never said it was necessary to believe in 'my God', which is a ridiculous thing to say considering you don't even know what 'my God' is. You're setting up a straw man here. No one made this claim. The fact remains that if all you have are personal feelings for each other and no sense of commitment beyond that, the marriage won't last. Perhaps it makes you feel better to believe otherwise.
It should be what you feel for each other that gives you your sense of obligation and commitment not the other way around.
Which is the point. What two people feel for each other changes over time. If 'what you feel for each other' is the basis for any obligation and commitment, then that sense of obligation or commitment will disappear along with the feelings.
Of those in the 'NO RELIGION' group, only 19 percent were married, compared to over 50 percent in every other case (except non-denominational, Buddhist, and Muslim). What's interesting is that the number of divorces is still similar for the NO RELIGION group even though the percent married rate is much lower. Notice this is NOT the percentage of marriages ending in divorce. This is the percentage of all people in that group identifying themselves as divorced. Despite the low percentage married, this number is still similar to other groups. It's common sense that people who don't get married don't get divorced. Normalizing the divorce rate would give a number closer to 20 or 25 percent.
The degree of co-habitation as opposed to actual marriage suggests an aversion to commitment. The number of breakups is not included in the divorce/separation statistics.
OK, I admit I made a mistake
However if you go down to page 32 which is the % age of the groups,
| Percent 18-29 | Percent 65+ |
| Catholic 24 Baptist 21 No Religion 35 Christian 35 Methodist 12 Lutheran 15 Presbyterian 10 Protestant 13 Pentecostal 24 Episcopalian/Anglican 10 Jewish 14 Mormon 29 Churches of Christ 17 Non-denominational 23 Congregational/UCC 11 Jehovah's Witnesses 24 Assemblies of God 21 Muslim/Islamic 58 Buddhist 56 Evangelical/Born Again 19 Church of God 16 Seventh Day Adventist 10 |
Catholic 13 Baptist 16 No Religion 8 Christian 7 Methodist 27 Lutheran 22 Presbyterian 29 Protestant 30 Pentecostal 9 Episcopalian/Anglican 28 Jewish 28 Mormon 15 Churches of Christ 25 Non-denominational 12 Congregational/UCC 35 Jehovah's Witnesses 10 Assemblies of God 10 Muslim/Islamic <1 Buddhist 3 Evangelical/Born Again 9 Church of God 19 Seventh Day Adventist 26 |
The No Religion (and the CINOs) have a much higher percentage of young people than the other groups (2-3x in some cases) so you would expect the unmarried and cohabitation rates to be much higher as they are for all younger people of all groups. And on the flip side you have 1/2 - 1/3 the number of people over 65 as other groups so the No Religion category as higher percentage of Baby Boomers than the others and that generation high divorce rate.
If they were to show the % divorced by age the % would pretty much come down to the other groups.
Backing up that religiousness doesn't correlate with divorce rate are the divorce rates from around the world. Many countries that are by far more secular than the United States like Canada, China, Denmark, England, Norway, Russia and they have a much lower divorce rate.
It also would have been interesting to see the number of unwed mothers in each group.
It would, But again religiousness wouldn't have anything to do with it because even though young people are becoming much more secular (the ones that would be having the out of wedlock births) than in the the past the rates have been declining rapidly. If religion had anything to do with it as the young people became more secular the opposite would be happening and the rates would be increasing rapidly. Source http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/fs031031.htm
Not at all, if you go to the link and go to page 25 there is a table "Switched in / Switched out". From 1990-2001 a lot more people over 18 (Net 5.5 Million) have abandoned religion than found it, Yet the divorce rate has remained constant over this time period. If what you are saying were true than the divorce rate should have skyrocketed.
You talk about 5,000,000 people out of 213,000,000. That's less that 1 percent; negligible.
That's a lot more than anyone else
Certainly there is a shift in self-identification toward more secular categorization. That was the main point of the survey and no one has said otherwise.
Well that's the way the study turned out, I don't think they set out to show people are becoming more secular. Over 50,000 surveyed with a margin of error of 0.5% - I would hardly call it a Zogby push poll. If anything it leans toward Christianity because Alaska and Hawaii aren't included.
The idea that just because a couple doesn't believe in your God means they can't make a commitment or have a sense of obligation is just so wrong on so many levels.
I never said it was necessary to believe in 'my God', which is a ridiculous thing to say considering you don't even know what 'my God' is. You're setting up a straw man here. No one made this claim.
Your God is the one that you think because you believe in him somehow makes you morally superior than people who don't.
The fact remains that if all you have are personal feelings for each other and no sense of commitment beyond that, the marriage won't last.
No they don't, Even if we forget the adjustments and the Non-Religious do in fact have a higher divorce rate than the religious, The vast majority of them are still staying together. Even if we take the 19/9 number at face value that's still big 70% majority who apparently "get by" with just personal feelings instead of some obligation or sense of commitment to some third party.
Perhaps it makes you feel better to believe otherwise. Which is the point. What two people feel for each other changes over time. If 'what you feel for each other' is the basis for any obligation and commitment, then that sense of obligation or commitment will disappear along with the feelings.
Yeah call me an idealist that I believe in true love that people can love and cherish each other until they die instead of your version were you love each other at first then just tolerate each other's company because you feel you have an obligation. I think I will stick with the Nonreligious because there sounds like there is a lot of loveless marriages in the Christian community.