"COHABITATION FAILS AS A "TRIAL MARRIAGE"
For over 30 years
the conventional
wisdom has been
that, if marriage is
relevant at all,
living together can
let two people know
whether they are
compatible enough
for marriage. It is
a concept that
increasing numbers
of people are buying
into.
Since 1970, the
Census Bureau
reports that the
number of households
made up of unmarried
couples has grown
eightfold. By the
time a woman reaches
the age category of
30-34, 49% say they
have lived with a
man outside
marriage.
But if more and more
people are hoping
that cohabitation
improves their
chances of being
happily married
later, evidence is
rapidly mounting
that indicates they
will be
disappointed.
Columnist William R.
Mattox, Jr, for
example, cited
recent research that
challenges the
wisdom of living
together. Results
include:
a) A woman who is
living with a man is
more than twice as
likely to wind up as
a victim of domestic
violence (Washington
State University
researcher Jan
Stets).
b) Women who are
cohabiting suffer
from depression at
rates more than
three times that of
married women
(National Institute
of Mental Health).
c) Sexual anxiety is
more characteristic
of this less
permanent living
arrangement, rather
than sexual freedom,
and the absence of
an enduring
commitment tends to
actually hinder
sexual satisfaction
(UCLA researchers
Stuart Perlman and
Paul Abrahamson).
d) Couples who lived
together and then
married report less
satisfaction in
their marriage than
other couples
(National Institute
for Healthcare
Research).
e) Cohabiting
couples who then get
married have a
significantly higher
rate of divorce than
those who did not
live together first
(University of
Denver re searcher
Scott Stanley).
In his work, Why
Marriages Succeed or
Fail, University of
Washington
researcher John
Gouman argues that
many couples who
cohabit do so
because they already
suspect that more
permanent
commitments are
doomed to failure,
and thus fulfill
their own
expectations.(Via - USA Today,
7/13/98; Commercial
Appeal (Memphis),
7/27/98)
Sin is still sin -
no matter what label
one puts on it. Sex
outside of marriage
has always been
outside of God’s
will and will not go
unpunished, unless
one repents of such
(Hebrews 13:4).
KYOWVA Evangelistic
Association
1541 S . 7th St. *
Ironton, OH 45638
Web page:
www.kyowva.com *
Email: kyowva@sbcglobal.net