Ministers Blogs
“America: Kick the (Co)Habit”
Categories: Marriage and FamilyIf you hear wedding bells, the Census says you're in the minority. For the first time in history, the number of unmarried people (aged 24-34) is actually higher than the number of couples who have tied the knot. According to the 2009 figures, marriage rates have hit an all-time low. Most experts blame the recession. The data seems to indicate that several people are postponing marriage while they hunt for jobs, which is understandable. Unfortunately, it has led to a boom in another trend: people saying "I do" to shacking up. In just one year, the number of cohabiting couples has spiked by 13%--one of, if not the, biggest leaps in a single-year span.
While it may help pay the bills in the short-term, the cohabiting frenzy may do more harm to the economy than good. Marriage happens to be one of the best things Americans can do for the economy! It helps couples build more wealth, reduces poverty levels for women and children, benefits minorities, and gives men an edge in take-home earnings. And those are just the financial reasons. Studies show that live-ins are more likely to: be unhappy, divorce, cheat, feel depressed, get abused--and in the end, they're less likely to marry each other! Cheryl Wetzstein of the Washington Times worries that too many people have a "don't worry, be happy" attitude about moving in together--"similar to what was written about no-fault divorce in the 70s. [And] we all know how well that's worked out," she writes. (Author Unknown)
Heb. 13:4, "Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous."
