Covenant Marriage Would Decrease Rate of Divorce

Covenant Marriage Would Decrease the Rate of Divorce

Most people have the need to have a stable and secure life. Consequently, banks and financial advisors assist society in securing finances, police safeguards our lives and well-being; but what can protect our emotional state of life? What can save a marriage from divorce? The one of the possible effective ways to protect marriages from braking apart is covenant marriage. Covenant marriage is an option for couples to receive premarital counseling, which makes divorce difficult to obtain; unless both spouses required it simultaneously. This option is becoming more popular throughout the United States. After covenant marriage appeared in Louisiana in 1997, Arizona and Arkansas followed its example. Why people get married? People get married for various reasons, mostly because of a desire of companionship, intact parenthood, and partnership. Happy marriage increases the lifespan. Marriage has a great impact on a human’s life, it is not only a cultural tradition, but also a need to acquire emotional support, protection and stability. In terms of finances, maintaining one household is cheaper than two. Moreover, singles tend to spend money on entertainment and fancy “extras”, whereas married people think more about saving for future. Most people understand that being married is more prestigious and financially beneficial. Stereotypes are still alive in the human’s mind so married individual could be perceived as mature and receive more respect at workplace. If marriage is so good and beneficial, why the divorce rate is so high nowadays? The divorce rate is high because people can leave the marriage easily without consequences. The divorce rate today is ten times more than century ago; approximately four in ten marriages end up in divorce. The rate of divorce is even higher among African-Americans; six in ten marriages are eventually dissolved. Being married in the United States nowadays has nothing to do with what it used to be before 1969. Ronald Reagan, the governor of California, issued a no-fault divorce law in 1969 that allowed married individual to dissolve marriage without grounds and partner’s permission. Since that time people nurtured irresponsibility toward the essence of marriage. Robert L. Plunkett in his essay “Vow for Now” says, “Under current law the bride and groom are in fact promising to be husband and wife only until one of them doesn’t want to any more. The lifetime commitment is gone.” In order for marriage to be long-lasting people who get married should be educated, mature and financially committed. Young engaged couples should understand who the family partners are and why to get married. The pregnancy, improvement of economical and social status cannot be the reasons for happy marriage. People who truly trust each other can consider the covenant marriage agreement as a guarantee of mutual love, respect and commitment. John Crouch, a divorce lawyer, in his “Testimony of John Crouch” says, “These people’s choice to seek a marriage for life is not just romantic, and certainly isn’t from blind love. It’s a very sober choice, based on knowledge of how weak humans are, especially when there are no laws or social conventions to help them live up to their promises”. Why people divorce? The divorce can be only justified in such cases as adultery, alcohol and drug abuse, and physical assault. In these cases, obtaining a divorce is a necessary matter that makes sense. Covenant marriage could reduce the incentives to the behavior leading to the divorce. It is not a secret that adultery is extremely common; therefore, either married or committed couples tend to look for someone better. Covenant marriage makes it difficult for cheater to release from the family; as a result, adultery will not seem that attractive any more and the sense of self-control will be restored. Opponents of covenant marriage might say that this agreement ties people and does not give them any freedom to dissolve the marriage any time they intend to do so blaming it on incompatibility. The cornerstone of the problem is people’s disbelief in institution of marriage at the first place. Covenant marriage is designated for people to have more control over their lives, which gives them more freedom. What kind of freedom it could provide? It gives the freedom to be happy, the freedom to raise children in intact family, and finally, the freedom of emotional and financial costs of the divorce. Covenant marriage decreases the rates of both no-fault and fault divorces. Everyone, who is willing and ready to create a family can benefit from this type of marriage.