It appears that Americans, many of whom are becoming less committed to traditional religion, are also becoming less committed to traditional marriage. According to a survey recently completed by YouGov, only 61 percent say their ideal relationship would be completely monogamous. Seven percent say their ideal relationship would be completely non-monogamous, and the other 32 percent are either “not sure” or fall somewhere in between.

Age plays a factor in this research. Among those under 30, 51 percent say they would like a completely monogamous relationship. Race influences these ideals, too: 69 percent of White Americans desire a completely monogamous relationship, while only 43 percent of Black Americans and 35 percent of Hispanic Americans said the same thing, respectively. Interestingly, the Midwest responded most favorably to desiring a completely non-monogamous relationship (11 percent, compared to seven percent in the Northeast and West, and 6 percent in the South).

Marriage is not something to be taken lightly; as leaders, we should teach our congregations to engage in faithful, monogamous marriages. In premarital counselor Les Parrot’s words, “Marriage should be viewed as part of the discipleship process.” For more information on how to encourage your church in this area, see ‘Saving a Marriage Before it Starts.’