Living together (without getting married) has become increasingly popular, and is now a mainstream comparable alternative to marriage for many.
The trend is greater in other countries but steadily on the rise in the United States.
Some, like David Popenoe, co-director of the National Marriage Project at Rutgers University, blame celebrity example for the trend.
"Today, celebrities from Hollywood and elsewhere are looked up to," he says. "They have become role models. They are far more influential today than ever in the past."
Joselin Linder, 33, is the co-author of the new book
The Good Girl's Guide to Living in Sin and says many women her age and younger view living with a romantic partner as a convenience. She says it's not about avoiding marriage.
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Others say marriage overall has decreased throughout the last decade, and those who do choose to get married are doing so at a much later age than previously. In turn, they argue, couples are choosing to cohabitate--not as an alternative to marriage, but as a step between the single life and married life with a family.
Discussion Starters What makes cohabitation different than marriage? What are the values of each? Why do you think more people are choosing not to get married? What sorts of long-term results can you predict this having on our society? Which choice do you think is more in line with Jesus' teachings?
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