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Politics : Moderate Forum -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: epicure who wrote (11595)	6/14/2004 2:58:27 PM
From: epicure	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 20773

WITH HIGHEST DIVORCE RATES IN BIBLE BELT, SOUTHERN BAPTISTS CALL FOR "COVENANT MARRIAGE," PROSELYTIZING, WAR ON ''MISSILES" OF LIBERAL CULTURE Web Posted: June 20, 2001 he nation's largest Protestant evangelical denomination has announced a new effort to fight divorce by encouraging so-called "covenant marriage" among born-again Christians, and redoubling its efforts in the culture battle over homosexuality, single parenthood and what it considers other signs of moral lapse. The Southern Baptist Convention, representing 16 millions members, wrapped up a two-day conference last week at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. Nearly 10,000 delegates approved a slew of resolutions, including declarations against euthanasia, human cloning and internet porn. At the top of the group's wish list, though, was a resolution urging that couples seeking to wed participate in "covenant marriage" wherein they formally agree that if they become estranged, they will undergo intensive counselling before consenting to a divorce. The measure was crafted by the SBC Council on Family Life reporting on "Great Commission Families." It says that the solution to a wave of divorce throughout the denomination is adherence to "scriptural principles of moral purity and marital fidelity," consistent family time" and "faithfulness in the ministries of... (The) local church." Along with supporting covenant marriages, the report also called for Christian families to exercise greater financial responsibility by increasing their contributions to local churches, and encouraged SBC members to "evangelize and disciple everyone, beginning with the family." BIBLE BELT BANGERS "PUT ASUNDER" MORE THAN NATIONAL AVERAGE The declaration affirming support of legal status for covenant marriage arrangements comes amidst news reports on the rampant wave of divorce in the nation's "Bible Belt" region. Census data and other findings have revealed that the divorce rate in states which are bastions of fundamentalist Christianity are roughly 50 percent above the national average. It has led to concern, and even grandstanding from church leaders and politicians. WANT A STEADY MARRIAGE? TRY AN ATHEIST MATE... Not even Luke and Laura seem able to survive the high divorce rate in the United States. The fictitious couple who anchor the popular daytime soap drama "General Hospital" are "divorcing" after nearly twenty years of on-screen marital bliss. Their wedding on the ABC network hit program drew an unprecedented audience, and screen writers may be hopping for a similar surge in the Nielson ratings. The Christian equivalent of Luke Spencer and Laura Webber-Baldwin, though, was a real-life marriage between religious music megastar Amy Grant and country crooner Vince Gill. As Grant's music has climbed up the rating charts and she has expanded her repertoire to include more "secular" or pop content, the buzz on Christian internet sites and publications has been about whether she would remain true to her religion. A good deal of the discussion focused on her views and practices of marriage. What Grant described as "tons of marital counseling" and prayer sessions with pastors failed to keep Grant in her first marriage to singer/songwriter Gary Chapman. She told a reporter for Focus on the Family that she was "released by God" from that arrangement, and that "to the best of my level of peace, I had a very settled, unshakable feeling about the path that I was going to follow." If Grant, or anyone else though wants to minimize the chances of divorce, they may want to save the time spent on Covenant Marriage, dreary counseling and prayer sessions with preachers or state-funded "save the marriage" programs. Instead, they might consider marrying an Atheist. In a December 21, 1999 report, George Barna of the Barna Research Group noted: "Born again Christians continue to have a higher likelihood of getting divorced than do non-Christians ... Atheists are less likely to get divorced than are born again Christians." Indeed, Barna -- who is a Christian and focuses on polling and public policy issues relevant to religious organizations -- found that 11% of the adult population is currently divorced, and 25% of adults have had at least one divorce. Born again Christians register at 27%, two percentage points over the national average, and three percent over the range of adults who are not born agains. Jews, according to Barna, are among those most likely to divorce (30%) while atheists and agnostics are below the norm at 21%. "Mormons, renowned for their emphasis upon strong families, are no different from the national average (24%)," noted Barna. Barna did not speculate on why Atheists seem to have such low rates of divorce, and possibly the most rewarding family lives and marital situations. This would call into question, though, the belief that promoting hard shell religion, and using public money in the process could address rising rates of divorce.