Science, religion agree on marriage, says speaker

By Sylvia L. White, The Catholic Sun
May 17, 2007

National Catholic speaker Jennifer Roback Morse addressed how to promote a healthy view of marriage before Christians of different denominations this month.

“We need to talk about reasons marriage is a good thing, no matter what background you come from,” Morse said in her May 8 talk at Southwestern College. She also spoke May 7 at North Phoenix Baptist Church.

“People are more attracted to good than repelled by evil,” she said. “We need to tell them about the good we’re trying to promote.”

Much of the crowd may have heard from the Church that marriage is the proper context for sex and having children. But Morse offered scientific evidence as well.

She listed statistics from scientific studies that suggest couples who cohabitate before marriage are more likely to end their marriage in divorce.

“Casual sex doesn’t work,” she said. “Cohabitation doesn’t work.”

The Center for Arizona Policy sponsored the event along with Crisis Pregnancy Centers of Greater Phoenix and the Diocese of Phoenix.

“We feel a need to equip the average believer on issues that matter to our families,” said Cathi Herrod, president of the Center for Arizona Policy.

“I feel like my job is to debunk false stuff,” Morse said, adding that it was a “difficult challenge” to address the issues surrounding marriage in our culture.

For more information on Morse or to sign up for her weekly e-mail newsletter, visit www.jennifer-roback-morse.com.