Another Cost of Divorce
Matthew 19:6
"So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."
The Bible teaches that marriage is one man and one woman, united into one flesh for life. Traditional morality has reflected this view. However, modern Western culture has viewed divorce as a freedom that should be available to everyone. The popular term "no-fault divorce" attempts to give the impression that divorce has few consequences. Two recent studies, however, clearly show the real cost of divorce.
Researchers with the Oregon Social Learning Center studied the effects of divorce on adolescents. They examined the behavior of junior high and high school males. They found that boys from families where there had been a divorce were much more likely to experiment early with sex than boys whose parents had never divorced. Another study by a sociologist at the University of Wisconsin in Madison looked at the effects divorce has on young women. The study tracked the behavior of nearly 4,000 young women. He found that young women from divorced marriages were much more likely to have babies out of wedlock than those from families untouched by divorce. Both studies show that one cost of divorce is a casual attitude toward sex on the part of children of divorced parents.
When God gave us marriage in the Garden of Eden, He intended it to be a lifelong union. While divorce brings heartbreak to the adults involved, God also knew that children of a divorce would follow the example of their parents in taking the gift of sex too lightly.
Prayer: Lord, thank You for the gift of marriage. Help me always honor it. Amen.
Ref: Minnesota Christian Chronicle, 7/6/00, p. 19, "Stable, two-parent families produce the healthiest kids."
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