Barna Group has come out with a new survey report about marriage and divorce in America. See the entire Barna Group Report here. News report based on the study can also be seen at Baptist Press, Marriage Partnership etc.

Here are some of the key findings:

a) Christians are more likely to get married than other faith groups. While 76% of Americans get married, 84% of Christians tend to tie the knot, 74% among non-Christian faiths and 65% among atheists and agnostics.

b) Lowest likelihood of divorce are Catholics (28%), evangelicals (26%),  Asians (20%) and those who deem themselves to be conservative on social and political matters (28%).

c) Highest likelihood of divorce downscale adults (39%), Baby Boomers (38%), those aligned with a non-Christian faith (38%), African-Americans (36%), and people who consider themselves to be liberal on social and political matters (37%).

Some important inferences based on this latest statastics is that half of all marriage ending divorce is not true! See a report in Christianity Today publication Marriage Partnership called Don’t Believe In Divorce Stats.

Another important finding is that though low, Asian divorces have risen significantly. Couple of years ago, I remember reading some study that reported divorce rate between 12 and 15 percent. Now it is one in five.

There is no more stigma with divorce in the American community. Some will marvel that as maturity of people’s attitude, while others will see that as erosion of communal ethics and liberalization of views concerning marriage.

There is no doubt that marriage culture is eroding fast in the West and the rest of the world is also catching up fast in this area. I guess it is the progress paradox!

Sam George