Marriage Matters

Wyoming Marriage Facts

• The divorce rate in Wyoming is nearly twice that of the national average at 13% (7.6% nationally). This equates to 4 divorces for every 1000 people.
• Wyoming is ranked #6 for highest divorce rate nationally in 2020.
• On average, 20% of marriages are struggling in a given community. In Wyoming, this means nearly 64,000 married individuals are struggling.

Why Marriage Matters

"The methodical, deliberate redefinition of terms such as life, gender, marriage, identity, etc. and the replacement of critical institutions--like the family and the faith community with the government--have created the new normal. Many citizens now look to government programs to fulfill needs and solve problems, releasing them from a sense of personal responsibility or ownership and lessening dependence upon family, individual work ethic and ingenuity.

"Today, one’s identity is warped into a social construct permitted by a false “right” to reject biology. Marriage, similarly, has been redefined to make a political point instead of its purpose as a key in a healthy society to procreate and provide sustenance, safety and support. These maneuvers aimed to establish a more “progressive” society are, in fact, resulting in its destruction and material harm to individuals, families and society as a whole.

"Analysis, opinion, and hard data are irrefutable and voluminous; intact families have greater earning capacity as a unit and produce children — both male and female — who earn more in their future careers. Children from families with both parents present in the home perform better in school, have higher expectations, and have capacity to deal with greater responsibility. According to the National Institute of Health research, looking at “the impact of family structure on the health of children,” there is a definitive benefit of intact families. In its opening statement, NIH says, “Nearly three decades of research evaluating the impact of family structure on the health and well-being of children demonstrates that children living with their married, biological parents consistently have better physical, emotional, and academic well-being.”"

*The Patriot Post. ROBIN SMITH / NOV. 20, 2018.

We can see the increase in individuals who are incapable of personal responsibility, devoid of healthy relationships with friends and family, and at a complete deficit in effective communication and social graces.

Today, we’re much more likely than in decades past to see couples cohabitate instead of marry. Couples who only cohabitate have demonstrated dissolution relationship rates up to four times greater than married couples.

The decline in using the Bible as the standard for defining a family has eased the stigma of out-of-wedlock births — and thus nearly 40% of all Americans under 21 were born outside of marriage.

Are we as a society moving towards an authentically better today with a greater quality of life, reduction of mental illness and a population of healthy individuals rooted in confident identity, values and morals who pursue a life of purpose and reach their greatest potential? NO! Today we have a culture characterized of fragile, false and insecure identities based on cultural ideas of success, and emotionally driven, entitled individuals that their greatest goal is self-gratification by the quickest means.

We cannot become more dependent upon government for our income, our nourishment, and our day-to-day existence. The destruction of our families is leading to the destruction of our great nation. Just as there are deliberate movements to destroy families, we must match them with intentional efforts to sustain them and their value.