Log in Sign up Entire forum This topic This board. February 02, , AM. Main Menu. Cohabitation and the Crisis of Commitment Started by D. Go Down Pages 1 2 Cohabitation and the Crisis of Commitment. May 10, , AM. Any pastor who has been around any length of time knows the reality of his members "living together" either before marriage, or in place of marriage. Clearly the practice has become more popular over the years to the point that it seems quite 'normal' even to regular church-going people.
The reasons vary from the idea of convenience and supposed cost-savings of shared expenses, to the temporary arrangement in order to save up for the reception or destination wedding. But the bottom line is the question of how does this arrangement best serve me first. Whether couples today would argue that their cohabitation choices are better than marriage is mixed. I'm sure we have all heard some defend it by saying that they didn't want to endure divorce as they witnessed it in their parents, friends and families.
A more recent study does bear out, however, that cohabitation does not increase the odds of a couple avoiding divorce, even if they think that this practice of 'trial running' the relationship improves their chances because they now know each other better.
Instead, divorce rates rise for those who choose this path. I don't think the idea of commitment impacts only this relationship arrangement. I think it impacts scores of relationships and arrangements from the work place to volunteer organizations to the church.
More and more we see people wanting the convenience of open-ended arrangements in their lives where they can exit quickly and easily. Unfortunately, this selfishly motivated decision has a negative impact on many around them.
