Even when a first relationship fails, most people try again. Americans seem to want to be connected to another through marriage. The second thing suggested by marriage and divorce data is that people do not know how to make marriage work. It appears that the desire to be connected to another in marriage is not sufficient to make it work. The result seems to be a rubber band effect, with people getting into and out of relationships at an alarming rate.
Recent studies present a disturbing picture.
In his 1993 book, The Future of the American Family, Barna suggested that the rate of divorce might be higher among believers. He received such a strong reaction to his interpretations of the data that he set out to get a clearer picture of divorce among Christians. Additionally, the Bible Belt states tend to lead the U.S. in divorce rate. After Nevada, the states with the highest divorce rates are Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, and Oklahoma. In one of Barna's latest studies, Baptists appear to be the denomination with the highest divorce rate.