When you get that pushed down your throat, it doesn't give you a whole lot of options. First of all, it is a logical fallacy-a false cause argument, along the lines of post hoc ergo propter hoc. These Southern states have many other features, besides a high number of evangelicals. And, religious couples are, in fact, less likely to get a divorce. As for living together, those who cohabit before they get married are 50 percent more likely to divorce than those who have not.
Statistics are less certain than they seem.
The scholarly legend began when the Census Bureau one year reported that there were 2.4 million marriages and 1.2 million divorces. The numbers vary, with other researchers putting the number at one in five. Given the fact that statistics can be misleading and that Christianity does contribute to good marriages, it is nevertheless true that there is too much divorce, even among conservative Christians. A factor in the Bible Belt states that has been shown to be related to divorce rates is economic status. These states rank at the bottom of the country for household income.