An estimated 5.08 million adult couples were cohabitating in 2004. USA Today, 22 July 2005.
Half of unmarried men ages 20-29 said they would have sex without any interest in marriage Why Men Won't Commit: Exploring Young Men's Attitudes About Sex, Dating and Marriage, Barbara Dafoe Whitehead and David Popenoe. The National Marriage Project, 2002.
Cohabitating couples have twice the breakup rate of married couples. Divorce declining, but so is marriage, Sharon Jayson. USA Today 18 July 2005.
More than 2/3 of married couples in the US say they lived together before marriage. ‘Cohabitation is replacing dating,’ Sharon Jayson, USA Today 18 July 2005.
60 percent of adults believe it is ‘morally acceptable’ to cohabitate, while 50% of born-again Christians believe it is ‘morally acceptable’ to cohabitate Morality Continues to Decay. Barna Research Group, 3 November, 2003.
42 percent of adults believe it is ‘morally acceptable’ to have a sexual relationship with someone of the opposite sex to whom you are not married Morality Continues to Decay. Barna Research Group, 3 November, 2003.
36 percent of adults view sex between unmarried people morally wrong USA Today Snapshots, Julia Neyman and Bob Laird. 13 September, 2004.
In 2003, 9.2 million men and women lived together in 4.6 million unmarried-partner households. America’s Families and Living Arrangements: 2003. U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau. November 2004.
More than 237,000 unmarried people in North Carolina live together, as do 4.9 million across the USA, according to the 2000 Census. Sex and sensibilities. USA Today, 17 May 2005.
Studies show that children raised by cohabiting parents have more school and emotional problems. Sex and sensibilities. USA Today, 17 May 2005.
A 2002 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 41% of American women aged 15 to 44 have, at some point, cohabited with a man. Sex in the Body of Christ, Lauren F. Winner.Christianity Today, May 2005.
According to the 2000 census, the number of unmarried couples living together has increased tenfold between 1960 and 2000, and 72 percent between 1990 and 2000. Sex in the Body of Christ, Lauren F. Winner.Christianity Today, May 2005.
Same-Sex Marriage
Massachusetts remains the only state in the nation where same-sex marriages are legal. In the past year, more than 6,100 same-sex couples have gotten married—one out of six marriage licenses issued in the state. Connecticut and Vermont have legalized civil unions, giving same-sex couples the same benefits as married couples without marriage. Gay-marriage debate still intense a year later, Charisse Jones.USA Today, 17 May 2005.
In Massachusetts, there has been an overwhelming shift in support for gay marriage, with 56% supporting it and 37% opposing it, according to a March 2005 Boston Globe poll. In February 2004, voters opposed same-sex marriage 53% to 35%. The sky didn’t fall in Mass, Deb Price. USA Today, 17 May 2005.
Opposition to same-sex marriage reached a historic high in March 2005, reaching 68 percent. These numbers decreased in a April 29-May 1 poll, with 56% opposition and 39% support of same-sex marriage. Gay-marriage debate still intense a year later, Charisse Jones.USA Today, 17 May 2005.
In the November 2005 elections, 11 states passed amendments to ban same-sex marriages. Sex and sensibilities. USA Today, 17 May 2005.
Since Massachusetts’ legalization of same-sex marriages, 65% to 34% of voters say it has not weakened the institution of marriage. Thirteen percent say gay marriage has had a negative effect on married heterosexuals. The sky didn’t fall in Mass, Deb Price. USA Today, 17 May 2005.
By 50% to 37%, adults nationwide oppose same-sex marriage. The sky didn’t fall in Mass, Deb Price. USA Today, 17 May 2005.
Marriage and Family
957,200 divorces and 2,355,005 marriages took place in 2000, making the divorce rate 40% The Divorce Rate, The National Center for Health Statistics. www.divorcereform.org, 2000.
Among married men, 63% grew up in two-parent homes versus 37% in non-traditional families Men from traditional homes are more the ‘marrying kind,’ Marilyn Elias. USA Today, 23 June, 2004.
94 percent of married men say they are happier being married than being single Men from traditional homes are more the ‘marrying kind,’ Marilyn Elias. USA Today, 23 June, 2004.
Married couples with children make up just 24% of households in 2000, down from 40% in 1970, and expected to sink to 20% by 2010. Teens’ Marriage Views Reflect Changing Norms, Linda Lyons. The Gallup Organization, 18 November, 2003.
Married people are healthier than other adults National Center for Health Statistics. www.cdc.gov/nchs. December 2004.
The decline in the proportion of family groups with children that were married-couple families leveled off during the mid-1990s, at about 68% from 1996 to 2003 due to declining divorce rates and reduced non-marital fertility, especially among teens. America’s Families and Living Arrangements: 2003. U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau. November 2004.
81 percent of all households in 1970 were family households, but the proportion dropped to 68% by 2003. America’s Families and Living Arrangements: 2003. U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau. November 2004.
In 1970, the median age at first marriage was 20.8 years for women and 23.2 years for men. By 2003, these ages had risen to 25.3 years and 27.1 years, respectively. America’s Families and Living Arrangements: 2003. U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau. November 2004.
Up to 20% of couples now report having sex no more than 10 times a year, qualifying them for what experts call “sexless marriages” I Love Them, I Love Him Not, Judith Warner. The New York Times, 14 February, 2005.
Children are a growing “impediment” to a happy marriage The State of Our Unions, Rutgers University. The National Marriage Project, June 2004.
Fewer children are growing up with happily married parents today than one generation ago. From 1973 to 1976, 51% of children under the age of 18 were living in a household in which the parents’ marriage was rated as “very happy.” From 1997 to 2002, only 37% were so fortunate. The State of Our Unions, Rutgers University. The National Marriage Project, June 2004.
A survey conducted by Peter D. Hart Research Associates for the Shell Oil Company and printed in the USA Snapshots section of the USA Today newspaper indicated that 60% of adults said the decline of moral values was America's most serious problem. The causes of moral decline were ranked as follows: families not teaching children good values (88%); rise in drug abuse (83%); society too tolerant of bad behavior (80%); adult language/sexually explicit TV (73%); pornography on the Internet (62%); reduced influence of religion (62%). Parents Are The Antidote for Moral Decline, Linda S. Mintle. Christianity.com, 1999.
Four out of every ten adults say their top priority in life is having a satisfying family life. Forty-seven percent of the adults who have been divorced indicated that a fulfilling family life was currently their highest priority. The second-most common life priority, listed by 18 percent of adults, was that of understanding and carrying out the principles of their faith (22% women and 14% men). What is A Purpose-Driven Life to Americans? The Barna Group, 17 May 2005.
Extra-Marital Affairs
91 percent of adults view polygamy and affairs outside of marriage morally wrong USA Today Snapshots, Julia Neyman and Bob Laird. 13 September, 2004.
83 percent of 86 surveyed married people do not see electronic "dates" as cheating No Mystery Left: Is the Easy Availability of Online Porn Leaving Kids Too Sex-Savvy? www.abcnews.com. 18 October, 2003.
Those who are promiscuous before marriage may be more likely to cheat on their spouses once married. Sex in the Body of Christ, Lauren F. Winner.Christianity Today, May 2005.
Five percent of pastors and 14% or laity have committed adultery. The primary reason was marital dissatisfaction. Christians and Sex: Sexual Issues in the Church. Christianity Today, 2003.
Single Parent Households
In 2004, 1.5 million babies were born to unwed mothers. Sharon Jayson, USA Today 2005.
Single-mother families increased from 3 million in 1970 to 10 million in 2003, while the number of single-father families grew from less than 500,000 to 2 million.
America’s Families and Living Arrangements: 2003. U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau. November 2004.
Single Adults
36 percent of unmarried men agree that ‘single men have better sex lives than married men. Men from traditional homes are more the ‘marrying kind,’ Marilyn Elias. USA Today, 23 June, 2004.
A 1990s survey of single Christians showed that approximately one-third of respondents were virgins. Sex in the Body of Christ, Lauren F. Winner.Christianity Today, May 2005.
Religion
Half of Americans 45 or older say they are somewhat religious; 20% cite their most satisfying spiritual experience is prayer, 19% say living a good life, 19% say helping others, 13% say being with family, and 10% say attending religious services. Prayer most pleasing, USA Today Snapshots. 10 January, 2005.
Almost half of churchgoers want to hear more scriptural teachings on sex (44%). Forty-four percent say they are satisfied with the frequency of sermons addressing sex. More Sex, Please. Christianity Today International, Winter 2005.
Nearly 9 in 10 pastors are counseling a parishioner on sexual issues once a year or more. Christians and Sex: Sexual Issues in the Church. Christianity Today, 2003.
Seventy-one percent of pastors and 49% of laity would like their sexual intimacy to be more frequent. Christians and Sex: Sexual Issues in the Church. Christianity Today, 2003.
Laity respondents are more likely than pastors to confess adultery to their spouses (45% to 20%). Christians and Sex: Sexual Issues in the Church. Christianity Today, 2003.
Very few churches have established policies to protect pastors from sexual temptation. The most frequent policy is to have a window in the pastor’s office door (27%). Christians and Sex: Sexual Issues in the Church. Christianity Today, 2003.
Fifty-six percent of adults attend church services in a typical month. More People Use Christian Media Than Attend Church. The Barna Update, 14 March 2005.
