IS MARRIAGE NECESSARY?
44% of Americans ages 20 to 69 believe marriage is not necessary in order to have a committed, fulfilling, life-long relationship, reports a Zogby/AOL poll. Marriage Savers' president Mike McManus finds the number shocking. He says, "People who are married live longer, they're healthier, they're happier; they're wealthier. A man who's single, for whatever reason, will live 10 years less than a married man; a woman, about 4 years less." Many fear if they marry they'll end up divorced, and the antidote is to cohabit. But Rutgers University's National Marriage Project research finds couples who live together before marriage are 46% more likely to divorce and significantly more likely to experience domestic violence within their relationships. McManus says, Churches really aren't very 'marriage-minded' -- they're 'wedding-minded.' They are equipped to be able to help couples have weddings, but they really don't know how to build marriages." (OneNewsNow 1/8/07)