Today's blog is meant to go along with last week (and next week). Just read them together and it will all make sense. I simply wanted to give you some statistics about living together, kids, premarital sex and the effects it has had on our society. There are many people who speak of the virtues of 'sexual freedom' by which they mean free to have sex with any THING at any TIME. When the scriptures speak of 'sexual freedom' it is in the context of marriage; totally free in marriage with your spouse.

As I said last week, we at Element do not divorce the ideas of marriage, sex, and children like the rest of our society does. We not only would like to see wild, passionate, nail biting sex saved for the context of marriage, but we would also like to see children saved for it as well. 

I am going to give you a lot of statistics (we have broken this into a 3 week blog because of all the stats). These statistics are to make you think, it is not ammunition to become self righteous. I firmly believe that marriage in NOT the answer, Jesus is. There is nothing before, or higher than, Jesus. Only by following Jesus we will begin to value what he values…and marriage will be restored.

• From the years 1978-2008 in the United States people living together rose 500%.
• Over 90% of Americans will marry, over 40% of those end in divorce, 60% of those divorces involve children.
• 1/3 of births today are to single women
• 1/4 of single women ages 25-39 are cohabitating (living together) with their "partner."
• Fully 1/2 of all cohabitate at some point
• 1/2 of all marriages are preceded by living together
• Adults 20-24 are most likely to cohabitate
• About 40% of cohabiting women have children with their partner, many of which are unplanned pregnancies.
• It is predicted that 40% of all children will at some point live in a cohabiting household.
• Almost two-thirds of teenagers believe (66% boys; 60% girls) that it is a good idea to live together before marriage.
• Those who cohabitate have a 75% higher divorce rate (some studies are showing closer to 90%).
• Those who live together before marriage are 3 times more likely to suffer from depression.
  
• Cohabitating women are 200% more likely to be beaten and sexually assaulted than married women.
• Cohabitating women are 9Xs more likely to be murdered by their partner than married women.
• Virgins who marry are less likely to divorce (37% for men,  24% for women)
• Virgins who marry stay married and are happier and enjoy more sex.

The above statistics come from 4 major sources:

• LIVING TOGETHER: Myths, Risks and Answers By Mike & Harriet McManus, 2008 (Howard Books).
• U.S. Census Bureau
• Studies summarized in Marriage and Family by Olson, DeFrain and Skogrand, 2008 (McGraw-Hill).
• For a list of more than eighty works about current trends and the effects on sexuality and emerging adults (including links whenever possible), you can visit one of the researchers’ websites here: http://bit.ly/chmjlX.