CMW-WB-CH08

The Practice of Religion
It should come as no surprise that couples who practice their religion
with their children are significantly more satisfied, well-adjusted, and
bonded in their marriage than those who do not. These benefits lead to
significantly reduced divorce rates and increased stability and longevity
of marriage. 18 Therefore, the saying, “the couple who prays together,
stays together,” is proven true. As it turns out, religion and marriage are
reciprocally beneficial. Marriage tends to reinforce the religious commitment
of couples (while cohabitation undermines religious commitment),
19 and couples who practice religion are likely to have more satisfying,
stable, bonded, and long-lasting marriages. 20
What might we conclude about the benefits of public, permanent,
exclusively committed marriage? First, couples who are committed in
a strong religious marriage with deep emotional intimacy and children
consider themselves happy and purposeful even if they wrestle with
problems concerned with work, finances, children, etc. Secondly, couples
in strong marriages (committed, intimate, religious, and with children)
tend to network with families like themselves. This leads to considerable
support on religious, relational, and practical levels. These
“friends” tend to be “best friends” for the long term. Thirdly, though
strong religious committed intimate marriages take work, discipline in
virtue, fortitude, and prayer, the spouses in such marriages in their later
years say they would never trade it for anything else. They consider
themselves to be fortunate in their lives, their children, their relationships
with friends and community, their religion, and therefore their
purpose in life.
Conclusion
It is clear from considering the facts that, far from being narrow-minded
or simply wishing to impose an oppressive rule on His followers,
Jesus gave us a formula for strong, stable, long-lasting marriages, secure
children, emotional health, high mutual purpose in life, and eternal
salvation. The discipline and work needed for a deeply intimate
faith-filled marriage is worth everything we put into it. Whenever we
compromise Jesus’ insistence on permanence and exclusivity, we undermine
ourselves, our spouses, our marriages, our children, and even
our very salvation.
Couples who are
committed in a
strong religious
marriage with
deep emotional
intimacy
and children
consider
themselves
happy and
purposeful even
if they wrestle
with problems.
© Sophia Institute for Teachers Unit 3, Chapter 8: Premarital Sex and Cohabitation
167