COVENTRY, April 8, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Once again, research from secular sources has confirmed what Christians have known all along. University of Warwick researcher Nick Powdthavee has shown that the increase in happiness of one spouse can significantly increase the happiness of the other; but only if properly married. The same effect is not seen among those who are merely co-habiting.
The research was an analysis of information obtained from the British Household Panel Survey. It studied the life satisfaction data from the 9,704 married individuals. Moreover, the increase in happiness - as much as 30% - was even shown to offset other life difficulties such as job loss. The data also showed that the increase in happiness enjoyed through the spouse is even greater than the effect of owning one’s home outright.
The same statistics were analysed for those who have not married but merely live together. Marriage as the union of two people into ‘one flesh’ that is the basis of traditional Christian marriage has always assumed that the happiness of the spouses is interdependent. Christian objections to co-habitation include the criticism that co-habitation is not a total giving of the self to the spouse. Christians understand co-habitation as being by nature an inherently self-seeking bargain.
It stands to reason from a Christian perspective therefore, that the psychological and spiritual benefits of marriage would not be found among couples who merely live together.