Tennessee considers covenant marriages [View All]

[Rose Siding]

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Two Tennessee lawmakers are looking to bolster the institution of marriage in a state where the divorce rate is considerably higher than the already high national average.

The bill would let couples voluntarily enter "covenant marriages," which require pre-wedding counseling and make it harder to get a divorce. But the three states that already have covenant marriages — Louisiana, Arizona and Arkansas — have seen little impact from the law. Few people choose covenant marriages, and the divorce rate hasn't dropped.
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"There are times when you want to throw in the towel and quit, but this arrangement hopefully will prevent that," said the Republican from College Grove.

Tennessee's divorce rate is 5.1 per 1,000 population, which is tied with Florida for eighth-highest among 46 states and the District, according to a 2002 analysis by the National Center for Health Statistics. Arkansas was second-worst at 6.2, much higher than the national rate of 4.0

http://www.washtimes.com/national/20050213-121442-1603r.htm