A Confederacy of Divorcées

[Lemur]

Doing unrelated research for something I'm writing, stumbled across this. There seems to be a relationship between conservative protestants, the geography of the former Confederacy, and high divorce rates. And it bleeds into their neighbors, i.e., just living near Biblical literalists (the study's definition of "conservative protestant) makes you more likely to divorce. Thoughts?

Conservative Protestants’ divorce rates spread to their red state neighbors



Researchers found that simply living in an area with a large concentration of conservative Protestants increases the chances of divorce, even for those who are not themselves conservative Protestants.

According to researchers who took into account race, income and other factors, marriage and fertility trends that are common among conservative Protestants — younger marriage, more kids, less higher education — affect all people in areas most populated by conservative Protestants, no matter their personal religious affiliation.

“Conservative Protestant community norms and the institutions they create seem to increase divorce risk,” researchers say in the study. For example, those who are struggling in their marriage may feel discouraged to find help in communities where marriage is idealized or marital failure is viewed as shameful, the researchers suggest.

“Generally, religion, religious belief and religious activities are thought to strengthen marriages,” said co-author Jennifer Glass, a sociology professor at the University of Texas at Austin. “It appears that the cessation of education, early marriage and early parenthood, you’re set up for relationship conflict, financial stress and dissolution.”

Researchers considered why states with larger proportions of religious conservatives have higher divorce rates than states with lower proportions of religious conservatives. The study compared “conservative Protestants” — those who believe the Bible is without error — with other “mainline Christian” denominations (including Catholics), other faiths and those who aren’t affiliated with a religion.

[Rhyfelwyr]

I was going to say something, then read the article and realised that it has already said what I was thinking:

"In his own research, Stokes found that conservative Protestants who attend church regularly are significantly less likely to have gotten divorced than nonreligious peers.

“The pattern that pops out in this data is that when you look at those who attend church weekly, their divorce rates are the same as other high-attending Christians,” Stokes said. “Nominal Christians are probably getting the community norms but aren’t in a social structure to live the norms out.”"

The bolded bit sums it up. In religious communities, "nominal Christians" (for our purposes, by that I mean those not regularly attending church, in line with the article's definition) probably see their religious peers getting married young, having kids, and then because they live in a culture where marriage is so idealised and is seen as a major life goal or sign of maturity, they want to follow suit and do the same. Of course, once they are actually married, they lack all the advantages that their religious peers have in keeping their marriage solid - a supportive church community, Biblical guidance, God working in them so that they will follow his ways, etc...

[Montmorency]

God working in them so that they will follow his ways

What a dick.

[naut]

The bolded bit sums it up. In religious communities, "nominal Christians" (for our purposes, by that I mean those not regularly attending church, in line with the article's definition) probably see their religious peers getting married young, having kids, and then because they live in a culture where marriage is so idealised and is seen as a major life goal or sign of maturity, they want to follow suit and do the same. Of course, once they are actually married, they lack all the advantages that their religious peers have in keeping their marriage solid - a supportive church community, Biblical guidance, God working in them so that they will follow his ways, etc...

Can I have a turn at the dataless anecdotal speculation game?


So the findings applies to both "nominal" and non-"nominal" Christians (whatever that means), because divorce: "affect[s] all people in areas most populated by conservative Protestants, no matter their personal religious affiliation."

But, then it goes on to say: "In his own research, Stokes found that conservative Protestants who attend church regularly are significantly less likely to have gotten divorced than nonreligious peers."

I'd suggest having a divorce in a highly religious environment would be very shaming. Even the unhappy would stick it out because they'll have a perspective of being unhappy both in or out of the marriage. If they were to divorce they'd become the "black-sheep" of the community, so they avoid doing so whatever the cost. Divorce would lose them not only their partners. But also their community.

----fff----

I'd also like to see the study's actual nuts-and-bolts. And how socio-political factors correlate, specifically income, age and immediate family size.

[Strike For The South]

Pressure to marry and settle early

That's it

[Major Robert Dump]

THE PROBLEM WITH THIS STUDDY IS THAT IT DOES NOT DISCUSS NASCAR AND WWE

[a completely inoffensive name]

I agree Major Dump, the Royal Rumble was a tragedy tonight. Batista? Really?!? Both JR and Mick Foley ripped the WWE apart on twitter, that says something.

[lars573]

I've been told marriage is a leading cause of divorce.

[The Lurker Below]

Do all those Florida cities have paper plants? I know two of those do. I can't blame any spouse in one of those towns that want to get out, even if they have to leave a partner behind.

[Ironside]

I've been told marriage is a leading cause of divorce.

I say it's utterly clear that marriage is a gateway-vice for heavier vices, such as divorce. It is also clear that we need to forbid marriage to stem the tide of divorces. According to our data, all divorcées has tried marriage before divorce, so if we forbid marriages, divorces will go down to zero.

Eliminate divorce today, vote to forbid marriage!!!

[Gregoshi]

... so if we forbid marriages, divorces will go down to zero.

Hear hear!! Truly a null meant for marriage.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Hear hear!! Truly a null meant for marriage.

Not gonna happen. Given the current climate, maybe we could restrict it to same sex marriages only....

[Montmorency]

So does all that now make ICSD a visionary?

[SwordsMaster]

I'm curious about that NE corner. Not religious and yet highly divorcious. Or is that the irishness?

[ajaxfetish]

I say it's utterly clear that marriage is a gateway-vice for heavier vices, such as divorce. It is also clear that we need to forbid marriage to stem the tide of divorces. According to our data, all divorcées has tried marriage before divorce, so if we forbid marriages, divorces will go down to zero.

Eliminate divorce today, vote to forbid marriage!!!

Not just divorce, either. Adultery, spouse abuse--marriage leads to a whole slew of social ills.

[ICantSpellDawg]

Catholics who attend mass weekly together have the lowest divorce rates of anyone. "Nominal" anything is expected to be wishy washy and fold at the first sign of stress.

High divorce rates also correspond with low educational attainment, although evangelical protestants have the highest denominational divorce rate of any religious group - including atheists. It also may have to do with religious literalists being unbearably ignorant. Confucius say: bend but not break