Abstinence Education and Divorce

"To what extent does abstinence education cause the high divorce rate in the Bible Belt?"
"
Allthough I'm not surprised in the slightest by the notion of folks getting married to have sex without sin, I suspect that in general abstinence education does not impact the divorce rate in the way you think it does. After all comprehensive sex-education does not involve ahum... practice sessions*.
Also in most places the divorce rate of people shacking up and getting wed later is the same as that of folks who start living together for the first time after their marriage.

*Well at least overhere it doesn't...

 

I suspect the high divorce rate is tied in some way to a couple of other things that are 'rotten' in the Belt, like the number STD cases, abortions and the number of unmarried teenagers getting pregnant which are all much higher than one would expect in a stretch of land that is located in a first world country.
In fact considering the large % of the population in the Bible Belt that is made up of devout Christians those rates should be much lower than all other comparable areas on earth, instead those rates are significantly higher.
The average woman in the Netherlands is less likely to catch a STD, is less likely to have an abortion and is less likely to get pregnant against her will, than the average woman in the US Bible Belt.
Make no mistake the average woman in the Netherlands is not going to be a born again Christian, or even an unsaved churchgoer. She will know next to nothing about any form of Christianity whatsoever.

 

1. Sin and rebellion to God's will causes divorce, not abstinence education.

2. One should not be counseled to get married just so they can gratify the flesh. One should get married because God has brought them together with their spouse, and they love each other and are committed to a life-long Godly relationship with each other. Sex is part of showing love for one another, not a reason to fall in love. Love is the reason for sex, not the other way around.

Joseph Botwinick

 

I think your mistake is assuming that there are many devout Christians in the Bible Belt. Many religious church goers: Yes. Devout Christians: Not so much.

Joseph Botwinick

 

Joseph
"Many religious church goers: Yes. Devout Christians: Not so much."
"
I don't spend much time overthere so I'll take your word for it.
Still an area crawling with religious church goers(who are most likely politically conservative to boot), also ought to have lower STD rates, abortion rates and girls getting preggers out of wedlock rates.

I live on the edge of the Dutch Bible Belt and my attitude towards the theocratic, babysprinkling Calvinists who dominate that area are roughly similar to what many on this board display towards the Roman Catholic Church. But whatever may be wrong with them in my (limited, heavily influenced by my upbringing in a rival church) perception, they have very low abortion, STD and unwanted pregnancy rates.
They are the last group in the country that has cases of polio, but that's another story.

 

IMHO,

The problem would be one of cultural problems that are reflected in our religious problems.

In America, we do not have strong social & familial ties and responsibilities.

 

Diane
Is there a reason you are not posting a link?

 

http://www.11alive.com/news/health/health_article.aspx?storyid=59203

Sorry, I thought I did. You can also see it off the AP.

Diane

 

I was attempting to find a page I had a few months ago about teen pregnancies in Georgia. I cannot find the link again but the ages were horrific! (14 and up)

Also, on any given Sunday, in my area of the Bible Belt, 85% of people are NOT in church.

 

The problem today is that no one wants to wait for the right mate. Their hormones are going crazy, and they are not on their knees in prayer about it. Divorce is more prominent among Christians than in the world anymore.
If people would pray more instead of thinking about how "cute" she is, or how "good-looking" he is, marriages would go alot farther among Christians today. AMEN?
We are called "Christians" are we not? Shouldn't we be depending on God to give us a mate?

 

The whole problem in a nutshell!!

When you allow your "wants" to drive you, you are creating your own personal hell!

 

Well if we'd stop sending them out in cars when they're barely old enough to make their own lunches and insist they date in groups or follow courtship rules instead it would be a lot harder.

I do childcare and one of the girls I keep is 12! She's not allowed to go home alone after school. Her friends who are 11 and 12 are DATING!

 

Diane
I swiftly found your article and was about to post the link myself when I realized there maybe was a foul language related reason you didn't want the link posted so I asked the question instead.

Now let's regroup.
First of all, after some reconsideration I came to the conclusion that the info I remember about pregnancies, STD's and abortions in the US Bible Belt is actually information about these issues in the South. There is a lot of overlap between the 2, but they are not the same.
Second, Chlamydia is by far the most common spotted STD in the Netherlands (from time to time a government affiliated institution publishes a top 10 of the most common STD's in the Netherlands and Chlamydia is always number 1 with a distinct gap between it and number 2). However the common form of Chlamydia is so subtle that one can suffer from it for years and don't notice anything except the ocasional blatter infection. Meanwhile it can easily make you sterile. I fear that Chlamydia outbreaks are no good indicator of the spread of STD's in an area in general. Gonorrhoea which makes itself forcibly known everytime one visits the smallest room in the house is a much better indicator.

"on any given Sunday, in my area of the Bible Belt, 85% of people are NOT in church."
"
One thing is certain after reading this, I have had a wrong impression of the American Bible Belt.

 

Too much "worldly" influence and not enough God in the relationship.

 

It is better to marry than to burn. Amen!

But it still goes back to being on your knees in prayer.
I know that teenagers do not want to take time out and pray about it, and if they don't want to pray, then they WILL reap what they sow; bottom line.
Their lack of prayer shows how spiritual they are, Amen?

 

This is exactly why I say we need to allow God to choose our mates and pray, pray, pray not only on your own but before each date, never date anyone who would not be 'marriage material', etc.

Hubby and I will be married 35 years this fall.

 

A great cliche` I was once told: "Choose only a date that would make a good mate."