[Petronski]

Many of the same people who don't believe in cohabitation also don't believe in divorce, or believe in divorce only in the most extreme circumstances.

So by selecting someone who does not believe in cohabitation, you are more likely to get someone who also does nt believe in divorce, thus locating a spouse who will be dedicated to making the marriage work or not marrying at all.

Thanks for making that point. Hee hee hee.

[Economist_MA]

Thanks for making that point. Hee hee hee.

I don't think that anyone would argue with this. Someone who believes that God is against both cohabitation and divorce is unlikely to do either. An incorrect conclusion would be to say that someone who thinks that cohabitation is fine automatically also takes divorce lightly (even though that may be a correct statement as long as you are refering to averages).

Anyway, I think the fundamental disagreement is about whether I would want a wife who wouldn't divorce me no matter what due to her religious beliefs, or a wife that stays with me because she wants to. A few generations back most women wouldn't have the economic means to support themselves and therefore had to put up with their marriage and whatever spousal behavior they had to endure. Both divorce laws and the higher educational attainment of women have changed this, and today most women can choose whether to stay or leave.