Divorce and Covenant Marriages
Keeping American Families Together
Hannah Dampier The United States of America is the land of the free and the home of the brave; however, it can also be called the country that holds the highest divorce rates. America’s divorce rate in 2010 was at forty one percent and is still currently growing (Divorce Rates by Country). Forty percent of these divorces had children involved (Divorce Rates in America). With such shocking statistics, it is easy to see that America’s divorce system is in dire need of change. Since divorce can ruin families, harm a child’s all around well-being, and holds the potential of being prevented, there should be more strict regulations to receive a divorce and a stronger push for covenant marriages. Before society can fix the issues with divorce, we must first understand the reason behind the high divorce rate and the problems divorce causes in our society. Many Americans believe that divorce tends to be the outcome of a type of abuse, whether it is to the opposite spouse or a child, or large conflicts. This, however, is not usually the case. William J. Doherty and Leah Ward Sears, authors of “Giving Troubled Marriages a Second Chance”, state that almost all divorces that occur are due to poor communication and poorly handled disagreements. Situations like those can often result in reconciliation once the divorce is finalized. Couples on the brink of divorce simply because they have drifted apart could be helped if they are willing to put in a little effort. With this knowledge in hand, we can have a hope that many divorces could be prevented.
However, just knowing the causes of divorce does not really motivate any certain person to want to make a change. People need to understand the aftermath that divorce can cause in a child’s life and the damage it can do to families in America. Divorce is a dark spot on society for a few reasons, one including how it affects families and children. These affects can be both long or
Hannah Dampier The United States of America is the land of the free and the home of the brave; however, it can also be called the country that holds the highest divorce rates. America’s divorce rate in 2010 was at forty one percent and is still currently growing (Divorce Rates by Country). Forty percent of these divorces had children involved (Divorce Rates in America). With such shocking statistics, it is easy to see that America’s divorce system is in dire need of change. Since divorce can ruin families, harm a child’s all around well-being, and holds the potential of being prevented, there should be more strict regulations to receive a divorce and a stronger push for covenant marriages. Before society can fix the issues with divorce, we must first understand the reason behind the high divorce rate and the problems divorce causes in our society. Many Americans believe that divorce tends to be the outcome of a type of abuse, whether it is to the opposite spouse or a child, or large conflicts. This, however, is not usually the case. William J. Doherty and Leah Ward Sears, authors of “Giving Troubled Marriages a Second Chance”, state that almost all divorces that occur are due to poor communication and poorly handled disagreements. Situations like those can often result in reconciliation once the divorce is finalized. Couples on the brink of divorce simply because they have drifted apart could be helped if they are willing to put in a little effort. With this knowledge in hand, we can have a hope that many divorces could be prevented.
However, just knowing the causes of divorce does not really motivate any certain person to want to make a change. People need to understand the aftermath that divorce can cause in a child’s life and the damage it can do to families in America. Divorce is a dark spot on society for a few reasons, one including how it affects families and children. These affects can be both long or
Cited: Andrew, Jan. “Children of Divorce.” Divorce and the American Family. New York: Franklin Watts, 1978, 44-60, 77-87. Divorce Rates in America. Marriage101.org. 2010. 15 Jan 2012. http:/marriage101.org/divorce- rates-in-america/. Manser, H. Martin. “Marriage.” Biblical Quotations. London: Lion Publishing, 1999: 183-184.