The State of Marriage

In recent years, state and local governments have taken an active role in attempting to reduce divorce rates and preserve the "sanctity of marriage." According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, two states - Arizona and Louisiana - now offer "covenant marriage" vows, whereby the couples involved agree to premarital counseling and tougher standards for divorce. Eight other states introduced similar legislation earlier this year. Other communities are reaching out to Christian ministries to help counsel at-risk couples. Critics say the state should not be involved in advocating marriages, but government officials counter that states have been hit hard by the social and economic effects of divorce.

Here are some news stories and other sites that address the government’s role.

Click to read what the  presidential candidates  say about marriage

Southern governors declare war on divorce
Salon
[A]ccording to figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Health Statistics, four of the five states with the highest resident divorce rates in the country are in the Deep South, where families pray together but apparently can’t stay together.

Can Government Rescue Marriages?
Center for Marital and Family Studies at the University of Denver
Trying to prevent marital distress is hardly controversial. The controversy is whether or not governments should force it on a broad scale.

Oklahoma weds welfare funds to marriage
USA Today
The state on Tuesday became the first to assign a significant portion of its federal welfare funds to reduce its divorce rate and promote marriage. The move may prove to be contentious, as some experts say such funds are better used to help those in financial need.

Louisiana House Bill 756
The state Legislature passed this bill in 1997. It was the first in the state to establish "covenant marriages."

Oklahoma Marriage Policy
Office of the Governor
A Strategic Plan to Honor Marriage & Reduce Divorce
As Governor Frank Keating and his leadership team went through the process of choosing priorities for 1999, it became clear that there were four "family strengthening issues" requiring immediate attention. And, while each of these four issues were addressed by the Governor in his State of the State address, strengthening marriages became the number one issue to be addressed because of Oklahoma’s distinction for having a high divorce rate. According to the Centers for Disease Control, Oklahoma ranks second, by state of residence, for the highest divorce rate in the nation (Arkansas ranked first).

MarriageSavers
Ministry hired by several states to combat high divorce rates

Marriage-Penalty Tax
Policy.com maintains a collection of articles on the so-called ‘marriage-penalty tax” which was debated by Congress again this year. 

Defense of Marriage Act
Enacted in 1996

Is Marriage Holy?
A look back … Henry James’ 1875 perspective on the legal and religious consequences of a wife’s infidelity.