Barna’s latest published divorce statistics say one-third of all adults, including “non-evangelical born again Christians,” have ended a marriage. Barna’s statistics are tied to its highly specific—and controversial—definitions of born-again Christians and evangelicals.

It’s been proclaimed from pulpits and blogs for years—Christians divorce as much as everyone else in America.

But some scholars and family activists are questioning the oft-cited statistics, saying Christians who attend church regularly are more likely to remain wed.

“It’s a useful myth,” said Bradley Wright, a University of Connecticut sociologist who recently wrote “Christians Are Hate-Filled Hypocrites … and Other Lies You’ve Been Told.”

“Because if a pastor wants to preach about how Christians should take their marriages more seriously, he or she can trot out this statistic to get them to listen to him or her.”

The various findings on religion and divorce hinge on what kind of Christians are being discussed.

Wright combed through the General Social Survey, a vast demographic study conducted by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, and found that Christians, like adherents of other religions, have a divorce rate of about 42 percent. The rate among religiously unaffiliated Americans is 50 percent.

When Wright examined the statistics on evangelicals, he found worship attendance has a big influence on the numbers. Six in 10 evangelicals who never attend had been divorced or separated, compared to just 38 percent of weekly attendees.

Wright questions the approach of The Barna Group, evangelical pollsters based in Ventura, Calif.

Read More: http://www.ethicsdaily.com/christians-question-conventional-wisdom-on-divorce-stats-cms-17597