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Study Shows Church-Attending Couples Happier Than Others

By 316Networks.com

Published: July 03, 2008

According to a recent study performed by the University of Virginia, married couples who attend church services frequently are more happier and more likely to succeed in their marriages than those who don't attend church often or not at all.

Sociologist W. Bradford Wilcox, who helped performed the study, said, "Churches supply moral norms like sexual fidelity and forgiveness, family-friendly social networks that lend support to couples facing the ordinary joys and challenges of married life." Wilcox added that faith "helps couples make sense of the difficulties in their lives-from unemployment to illness-that can harm their marriages."

According to the recent study, 70 percent of husbands who regularly attend church say they are "very happy" in their marriages, compared to only 59 percent of husbands who do not attend religious services.

For women, a majority of those who attend church services also were reported to be happier than those who do not.

Some critics say that the survey is inaccurate and only reflects couples who already are enjoying stable marriages while attending church. However, Wilcox said that faith and its role in marital relationships cannot be overlooked.

"Men and women who hold a religious faith and put that faith into practice by attending church on a regular basis do look different in the marital realm," Wilcox said.

"So, in a word, the couple that prays together stays together," he added.

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