The sad decline of America and the West

Sadly my parents divorced when I was 12 years old. It was the single most traumatic event in my life, up until I started suffering from severe mental illness. It has continued to negatively affect me my entire adult life. It’s not something I ever got over. The pain is still raw even nearly 35 years later!

For 2,000 years divorce in Christian nation was extremely rare. To be divorced was a major social scandal which most sought to avoid. This started changing in the 1960s. With the introduction of no-fault divorce laws in America the floodgates were thrown open and divorce rates increased sharply. Under a no-fault divorce system the dissolution of a marriage does not require an allegation or proof of fault of either party.

Prior to the latter decades of the 20th century, divorce was considered to be against the public interest, and civil courts refused to grant a divorce except if one party to the marriage had betrayed the “innocent spouse.” Thus, a spouse suing for divorce in most states had to show a “fault” such as abandonment, cruelty, incurable mental illness, or adultery. If an “innocent” husband and wife wished to separate, or if both were guilty, “neither would be allowed to escape the bonds of marriage.”^[8] Divorce was barred if evidence revealed any hint of complicity between spouses to manufacture grounds for divorce, such as if the suing party engaged in procurement or connivance (contributing to the fault, such as by arranging for adultery), condonation (forgiving the fault either explicitly or by continuing to cohabit after knowing of it), or recrimination (the suing spouse also being guilty).

Wikipedia

All states allow no-fault divorce on grounds such as irreconcilable differences, irremediable breakdown, and loss of affection. Some states mandate a separation period before no-fault divorce. Mississippi, South Dakota and Tennessee are the only states that require mutual consent for no-fault divorce. The rest of the states permit unilateral no-fault divorce.

In the ’40s, the annual divorce rate reached 3.4 divorces for every 1,000 Americans. In 1960, the rate was 2.2 per 1,000 Americans, and reached 2.5 in 1965. By 1969, the rate jumped to 3.2 with 639,000 divorces. The divorce rate had been increased steadily, albeit at a slow rate since the turn of the century. In 1970s, the annual rate was 3.5 per 1,000, but by the end of the decade, it reached 5.1 divorces per 1,000 Americans.

As we can see from the chart below, during the 1960s the divorce rate skyrockted with the passage of no-fault divorce laws in most states.

Divorce Rates in America

• The current divorce rate in the US is 2.9 persons per 1,000 people.
• Overall, the rate of divorces in America is falling.
• Divorces amongst people aged 50+ years is rising.
• Fewer couples choose to marry than pre-1990.
• The U.S. divorce rate is amongst one of the highest in the world.
• There are currently over 750,000 divorces in the U.S. each year.
• Most Americans who file for divorce do so between January and March.

The divorce rate has been lower in recent years, but that is due in part to the fact that more couples now cohabitate living in sin rather than opting for marriage. This trend is expected to increase sadly. The US still has one of the highest divorce rates in the world. Since 1970, out-of-wedlock birth rates have soared. In 1965, 24 percent of black infants and 3.1 percent of white infants were born to single mothers. By 1990 the rates had risen to 64 percent for black infants, 18 percent for whites. Every year about one million more children are born into fatherless families.

As of 2020:

• Total number of births: 3,613,647
• Number of live births to unmarried women: 1,464,121
• Percent of all births to unmarried women: 40.5

Source: Births: Final Data for 2020, tables 9 and 10.

This is truly shocking! Nearly half of all births are out-of-wedlock so the babies are born as bastards. To see how this rate has increased see the chart below of the percentage of births to unmarried women in the United States from 1980 to 2020.

For 2018, for all racial and ethnic groups combined, 39.6 percent of births were out-of-wedlock. The breakdown of out-of-wedlock births by race is the following:

For blacks, the number is 69.4 percent; for American Indians/Alaska Natives, 68.2 percent (Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders were at 50.4 percent); for Hispanics, 51.8 percent; for whites, 28.2 percent; and for Asian Americans, a paltry 11.7 percent. See Table 9, page 25 of this report.

These rates are truly appalling, nearly 70% of black babies are born as bastards! The sexual immorality in our country has become the default behavior. And if you take into consideration that there are around 1 million babies murdered by abortion every year, if they had lived the out-of-wedlock rates would be even higher! This is truly appalling! And nearly 40% of all births are out-of-wedlock! There is hardly any sexual morality left in America. Even those professing to be Christians are fornicating at younger and younger ages, having abortions, having bastard children out-of-wedlock. There is no holiness. There is no longer any social stigma against out-of-wedlock births. Just 70 years ago during our grandparents generation it was virtually unheard of. The out-of-wedlock birth rate for whites was around less than 1% in 1950, now as of 2010 data it’s 29%! The black rate of out-of-wedlock births went from 18% in 1950 to an astronomical 72.5% in 2010!

Just how did we reach such a sad reality? In the brief video below, you’ll see how there was a big bush by Hollywood throughout the 1960s to portray divorce as cool and desirable and portray marriage as an antiquated and stifling institution. The correlation between the movies being shown and the skyrocketing of divorce rates in all Western questions in undeniable. There was an orchestrated, and deliberate campaign to encourage divorce. These factors, coupled with the so-called sexual revolution and counter-culture movement of the 1960s opened the door to this wickedness in America. Also the rise of feminism and attack on biblical patriarchy and the family by Satan was instrumental in our downward slide into degeneracy. Please watch this brief video.

The evidence is overwhelming and incontrovertible when you look at the rise in divorce rates compared to the adoption of no-fault divorce in English-speaking countries. The result is the same in EVERY SINGLE WESTERN COUNTRY!

I truly believe the only thing that will turnaround our appalling rates of divorce, abortion, out-of-wedlock births, fornication, adultery and all other sins afflicting our once great nation is godly repentance, believing the Gospel and trusting in Christ alone as Lord and Savior. Nothing else will be able to solve our great problems.

The steady decline of the West into degeneracy and collapse seems inevitable. But with God all things are possible. So I remain hopeful. Pray for our country! Teach your children and grandchildren to fear and love the Lord! Raise them up in godly ways and they shall not depart Scripture promises. America has many things in common with ancient Rome. Both are empires, both are superpowers, both have great advances in science and technology, both have great orators and philosophers, both had great Christian populations, both overtaxed their citizens and engaged in expensive foreign wars abroad, both suffered from sexual degeneracy, both had rampant homosexual behavior. Rome finally collapsed from overextending its empire, the problems associated with having an emperor, the pressure from the pagan tribes which attacked it, a decline in morality, economic problems, and for persecuting God’s children. Will this same fate befall America? God only knows.

But we must fight to uphold Christian values in America. We must fight back against the degenerate popular culture, weak and compromised false progressive church, biased leftist media, LGBT insanity, the removal of God from our schools and our public institutions and public life, the removal of school prayer, socialism/communism, the wrong interpretation between the separation of church and state, erosion of Constitutional rights such as freedom of speech, religious freedom, rise of atheism and secular humanist philosophy, brainwashing of our children in K-12 public schools and most universities and colleges, which are now godless.

As our founding fathers affirmed, America was made for a Christian populace! God must be at the center of our government!

All of these things I’ve mentioned present an enormous challenge to us. We can do nothing apart from God. May we run the good race and keep our eyes on Jesus! He is the triumphant King of Kings and Lord of Lords who is returning to earth to finally defeat all evil and Satan and the children of darkness. Preach the Gospel, die, and be forgotten. All glory to God!

Divorce Rates in America Statistics 2022

1. The divorce rate in America is 2.9 per 1,000.

According to the CDC, the current divorce rate is just 2.9 per 1,000. However, only 45 states and the District of Columbia submitted enough data to be considered in this nationwide study. As Indiana, California, Hawaii, New Mexico and Minnesota are not counted, there may be some variation on this figure.

2. Recent divorce rates suggest a decrease in the number of people dissolving their marriage.

The divorce rate has increased since 1960. But since 1990, there has been a downward trend in divorce statistics. This suggests divorce rates over time are changing drastically, as are marriage and cohabitation trends. By assessing the divorce rate statistics by year, it’s easy to see that the rate of divorce in the US is on a general decline. 

3. More people in the US were married in 2018 than in 1960.

Despite the overall long-term increase in divorce rates in America, more US residents were married in 2018 than in 1960. This may highlight the effect an increasing population has on the statistics on marriage and divorce. 

4. Over three-quarters of a million divorces took place in the US in 2017.

In 2017, approximately 787,251 divorces were granted in America, which means that around one and a half million people got divorced that year. As the national divorce rates continue to fall, it’s likely that the number of divorces in the US per year will continue to fall in the future. 

5. Remarriage increases the risk of divorce.

 According to the Census Bureau, the rate of divorce increases in relation to how many times you marry. This means, the more you marry, the more likely you are to divorce. 

6. There is a seasonal spike in divorces in the US.

More people file for a divorce between January and March than at any other time of year. Some researchers believe this represents the perceived strain on familial relationships over the holiday period. 

7. Divorce rates vary dramatically from state to state.

The lowest divorce rate by state occurs in Illinois and Louisiana, with rates of just 1.9 per 1,000 people. Conversely, the states with the highest divorce race are Nevada and Oklahoma, with 4.5 and 4.1 per 1,000 people, respectively. 

8. The average length of a marriage in the US is 8.2 years.

Whilst the national average marriage length is just over eight years, couples in New York typically have the longest-lasting unions. The typical marriage in the Empire State lasts for 12.2 years, which is significantly higher than the national average. In fact, some scholars estimate that the actual number is closer to seven years, as the divorce process can take around one year to complete.

But it’s not all bad news:

9. The likelihood of divorce might be less than you think.

The most common question surrounding divorce in the United States is: 

What percentage of marriages end in divorce? 

Here’s the kicker:

Many people believe that this figure is around 50%. However, the actual percentage of marriages that end in divorce in the US varies between 40% and 50%. This means that you are more likely to stay married than you are to dissolve your marriage. Good news!

And that’s not all:

10. The divorce rate today is lower than a decade ago. 

The divorce rate in America in 2018 and 2019 is significantly lower than in 2008 and 2009. Despite a slight increase in 2011-12, the divorce rate has fallen overall throughout the last decade.

One of the major reasons for this is due to the high attorney fees that can rack up to a whopping $12,800. Luckily, online divorces are becoming a thing among married couples as these can save thousands of dollars for those looking to separate from their spouse.

11. The national divorce rate for adults aged between 25-39 years is 24 per 1,000 persons.

For adults aged between 40-49 years of age, it’s 21 per 1,000 persons. In contrast, the divorce rate amongst adults aged 50+ years is 10 in 1,000 persons. When looking at divorce rates by age groups, it’s clear that there are significant differences between demographics. 

12. The rate of divorce after 10 years is 48% for those who marry before the age of 18.

But the rate is just 25% for those who marry after the age of 25. For people who marry between the ages of 20-25, there is a 44%-60% chance of the union ending in divorce. 

Key takeaway:

These statistics confirm that the age of the couple at the time of marrying does impact subsequent divorce rates. 

13. “Gray divorce” rates have risen dramatically over the last 30 years.

Amongst adults aged 50+, the national divorce rate has roughly doubled since 1990. For those aged 65+, it has actually tripled, from 2 in 1,000 married persons to 6 in 1,000. This indicates that people over the age of 50 are more likely to get divorced now than ever before. 

14. Successful marriage statistics are on the increase.

As divorce rates continue to reduce overall, successful marriage statistics increase accordingly. With a 40-50% chance of a marriage in the US ending in divorce, there is a 50%-60% chance that the marriage will not be dissolved. So, people who marry today stand a much better chance of having a successful marriage than ever before!

15. Ages 28-32 could be the best time to get married.

As we know by now, divorce rates vary by age. But there isn’t a linear trend that shows divorce rates increase or decrease as you get older. Still, people who get married in their late-twenties or early-thirties are statistically less likely to get divorced.

16. People are 75% more likely to end their marriage if a friend is divorced.

Having friends who are divorced can greatly increase your chances of becoming divorced yourself, according to a research team from Brown University. Whilst you are 75% more likely to end your own marriage if you are friends with a divorcee, you are 33% more likely to get divorced if you have a friend of a friend who has formally ended a marriage.

17. Second marriages have a higher rate of divorce.

While the rate for first marriages is 40%-50%, second marriage statistics show this increases to 67% for second marriages and a whopping 75% for third marriages. When it comes to a happy union, the third time clearly isn’t a charm. 

18. Divorce rates may not give the true picture.

Although divorce rates have fallen in recent years, marriage rates have dropped, too. When comparing marriage vs divorce statistics, it is important to assess the rates in context. In the 1990s, the national marriage rate in America was 9.8 people per 1,000. Currently, it is 6.9 per 1,000. With more couples living together without formalizing their union, the rate of divorce cannot accurately represent the number of long-term relationship breakdowns. 

19. Separation doesn’t count in terms of divorce statistics.

The majority of people who separate do go on to divorce, but that’s not always the case.

Check this out:

91% of white women who are separated will divorce within three years, but this figure drops to 77% for Hispanic women and 67% for African-American women. As long-term separation is not counted in most divorce statistics, the rate of marriage breakdowns could be higher than divorce rates suggest. 

20. Education may impact divorce rates.

The average marriage failure rate varies depending on each spouse’s level of education. 78% of women with bachelor’s degrees who married for the first time in 2006-2010 can expect their marriage to last for at least 20 years. In contrast, 49% of women with some college education and 40% of women with a high school diploma or less can expect their marriage to last for the same period. 

21. Are education-related divorce rates skewed?

Even though education-related divorce rate statistics imply that a higher level of education equates to less chance of divorce, this may not show the full picture. People who get a college degree before marrying are likely to be a few years older than those with just a high school. So, the statistics relating to education and divorce could be influenced by the age of each spouse and have more to do with divorce rates for young couples, as opposed to their educational experience.

22. Millennial divorce rate is lower than those of their predecessors.

People born between 1981 and 1996 are showing lower rates of divorce than older age groups. However, the millennial divorce rate may be impacted by the fact that this demographic typically chooses to marry at a later age and many forego marriage in favor of cohabitation. As earlier generations typically got married at a younger age and were less likely to cohabit, this could contribute to the lower divorce rate amongst millennials. 

23. Millenials are more cautious about marriage.

The decreasing marriage rates in the US may not signify a general dislike of the institution but rather a more cautious approach. 

The thing is:

The generational gap in divorce rates may be partly due to the fact many millenials complete further education and begin their careers before tying the knot. While marriage and divorce rates in the US have fallen, the age at which millenials are choosing to marry is much higher when compared to pre-1980 statistics.

24. Cohabiting can impact your risk of divorce.

Couples who do not cohabit before getting married are less likely to obtain a divorce within the first 20 years of their union. Men who live with their partner prior to marriage have a 49% chance of avoiding divorce for at least 20 years, while women who live with their partner before marrying have a 46% chance of remaining married for at least 20 years.

25. Divorce is less likely than cohabitee break-ups.

There is a 20% chance of a first marriage resulting in divorce within five years. In comparison, couples who cohabit for five years have a 49% chance of separating. Similarly, married couples have a 33% chance of divorce within 10 years, whilst cohabiting couples have a 62% chance of splitting up in this time frame. These statistics indicate that married couples are likely to remain together longer than couples who choose to cohabit but do not marry. 

26. Incompatibility is the leading cause of divorce in the US.

What is the #1 cause of divorce?

According to the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts, the number one reason for divorce in America is “basic incompatibility.” 43% of research participants cited this reason as their primary decision to get a divorce. Infidelity and money issues were also highly relevant, with statistics showing that 28% and 22% of participants cited these reasons for obtaining a divorce. These causes of divorce statistics highlight the most common reasons for couples to request a divorce, although parenting differences, addiction, and abuse are commonly cited, too.