Cause and Effect Essay - Christianity Causes Divorce

Cause and Effect Essay - Christianity Causes Divorce â€Å"Bible Belt Couples ‘Put Asunder’ More,† the New York Times proclaimed on May 21 of this year: â€Å"The divorce rate in many parts of the Bible Belt is roughly 50% above the national average.† So much for the notion that secularism is to blame for the decline of traditional families, among other frequently lamented social ills. Apparently, in a least a few states, the divorce rate correlates to an excess of piety, not the absence of it. What do we make of this amusing correlation? I doubt that religiosity directly causes divorce, but in some cases it may cause marriage, by condemning premarital sex and cohabitation as sinful; and marriage, of course, is the one indisputable cause of†¦show more content†¦Several states are considering legislation requiring counseling before marriage or divorce. Meanwhile, conservatives at the Heritage Foundation have proposed that the Bush administration establish a federal office promoting marriage—traditional, heterosexual marriage, that is. Despite the widely held belief that marriages bring people emotional stability, financial security, and even long life, opposition to gay marriage is a lot stronger than opposition to heterosexual divorce. Consider the strong bipartisan support for the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which greatly restricts the legality of gay marriages permitted by any state. DOMA was passed by strong majorities in the House and Senate in 1996, with the support of liberals like Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone and Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski, as well as conservative, twice-divorced Georgia Congressman Bob Barr. Why is divorce among heterosexuals so much more acceptable than marriage among gay people? Divorce is generally regarded as a social ill, but homosexuality is still apt to be condemned as a sin. Indeed, opposition to gay rights helps unite religious conservatives. Mainstream religious beliefs underlie many of our domestic relations laws, which means that laws regarding marriage and family life are liable to involve religious discrimination. Laws against adultery,Show MoreRelatedDownfall of Education System was No School Prayer649 Words   |  3 Pageswas removed from public school classrooms in 1962, we have had a 6-fold increase in violent crime, our divorce rate has tripled,births to single mothers have increased 5-fold, the teenage suicide rate has tripled, and SAT scores have dropped 10%.(Creation Today). Reasons that represent why prayer and moments of silence should be allowed in the public school system will be expressed. 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