Religious Singles' Groups Reduce Chances of Divorce

Religious Singles' Group Index
By Richard Bruce BA, MA, and PhC in Economics

Religous Singles' Groups Avoid Divorce A Millenium of Successful Marriage

My parents were one of more than thirty couples who married after meeting in a church singles' group in Berkeley, California. As it was exclusively a singles' group, the married couples formed their own group which continues to meet monthly to this day. Of the couples that were active in the married group for a more than a short period of time none divorced. Collectively they are on their second millennium of successful marriage. Pretty amazing for a bunch of liberal Protestants from Berkeley, California in the second half of the 20th Century.

My former landlord had much the same experience in a Catholic singles' group in San Francisco, the difference being that the couples meet about once a decade rather than once a month, so they are not as sure of their success as the liberal Protestants from Berkeley.

I have spoken to representatives of other Catholic singles' groups which have been operating more recently and they confirm that couples who meet in religious singles' groups have an exceptionally good record of avoiding divorce.

I did get a message through my guest book from someone who spoke of three marriages which may have been formed through church singles' groups that broke up. As hundreds of people have read these pages, it is not surprising that we would find such cases, and even a collection of cases.

My point is not that all church singles' groups have a perfect record. There is some controversy over how perfect the records of even my parent's singles' groups is, but it is clear that couples that meet in religious singles' groups from a wide range of traditions have a far better record of avoiding divorce than American marriages of the last few decades. Therefore, why would a rational person want to search for a marriage partner in the typical American manner?

Some people will object that church should not be used as a singles' club, so let me emphasize that these couples my parents and probably my landlord met in church singles' groups that were specifically intended to facilitate marriage. This was not a matter of flirting in the pews or even misusing a young adult group set up for spiritual purposes.

To some it might not seem romantic, many believe they should not attempt to find their marriage partner, God will provide. But God seems to honor the purposeful search for a marriage partner, especially when the young people put him first by searching among others with the same metaphysical commitments.

If you are helping to lead a singles' group it might help if your singles' read this story. If you think so, perhaps you will consider linking to this page.