Saturday, June 28, 2008

FACT: Church Going Men Have Happier Marriages

A new research brief from the Centre for Marriage and Families finds that church going men have happier marriages than other men:
For men, 70 percent of husbands who attend church regularly report they are “very happy” in their marriages, compared to 59 percent of husbands who rarely or never attend church. . . In addition, a study of urban relationships found that men’s religious attendance was a better predictor of women’s relationship satisfaction than women’s own religious attendance.

That's huge! In other words 18% (70/59) more church going men (in America) have very happy marriages than men who stay home. Naturally these men had marriages that were more likely to last:
Specifically, data from the NSFH indicate that men and women who attended religious services regularly (several times a month or more) were approximately 35 percent less likely to divorce between 1988 and 1993, compared to their married peers who rarely or never attended religious services. Catholics, Mainline Protestants, and Jews who attended services regularly were especially likely to avoid divorce, compared to churchgoing evangelical Protestants and black Protestants. In all probability, low Catholic divorce rates are linked to Catholic teaching about the importance of marital permanence.
Yay Catholics!

Finally, the research shows that church going men spend more time with their children including helping with group activities:
Compared to dads who say they have no religious affiliation, fathers who attend
church regularly (several times a month or more) devote at least two hours a
week more in youth-related activities, such as helping in Boy Scouts, coaching
soccer, and leading a church youth group.
So men, want a happier marriage? Get to church! Women and mothers want a happier marriage, get your husband to church. The data show he'll thank you for it.

H/T Lifesite News

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