Low incomes and high poverty rates a major factor in making the list.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44308315/#.Tm-noHO1m_F

Other than Alaska #3, and Nevada #6, the top ten is comprised of Southern states which marry earlier and are strongholds of fundamentalism.

In states like Oklahoma they simply pick and choose what they want to believe about the Bible. They quite strongly agree with the anti-homosexual parts while strongly disagreeing with the part that says fornication is wrong. And the part disapproving divorce certainly isn't taken as seriously as it once was.

I've always said if churches would apply half the energy towards speaking against adultery and marital issues as they do towards homosexuality, well, this thread wouldn't exist.

The article did note however that the biggest reason was economic. "What stood out was the high correlation between poverty and divorce."

Time to get some employers other than call centers, fast food joints, and other low paying/minimum wage jobs. For those looking to abolish the minimum wage, be wary of unforseen consequences.

People also tend to get married quite young here, and it would seem that fact might make a difference, as well.

People also tend to get married quite young here, and it would seem that fact might make a difference, as well.

Maybe a graduated marriage license, like the driver license is now, would be the answer to that.

me and my wife started dating at 13 years, that was 16 years ago, we are married and have 2 kids, but we waited till after college to get married and have children. I still dont understand why so many young couples that are just turning 18 ( or fresh out of highschool) think they need to get married and have children. A lot of our friends had children at 16 and 17 and got married, and now all but one couple is now divorced

Maybe a graduated marriage license, like the driver license is now, would be the answer to that.

Nah, too many would fail the patience requirement inherent in such a step up process.

In EVERY PLACE ON EARTH they simply pick and choose what they want to believe about their RELIGIOUS TEXT.

Fixed it for you.

Fixed it for you.

You didn't fix a damned thing. All you did was make up a quote totally irrelevant to anything I wrote in this thread.

Wasn't the last time Oklahoma won this title back in the 1986-1987 season?

In Oklahoma and many states like it, we have a culture that has turned marriage into a princess party. What young girl can resist sporting a big rock, wearing pretty dresses and being the center of attention for a time? Especially when her friends are all getting hitched and she is looking like an old maid if she isn't at least engaged by age 20. Unfortunately, it doesn't take too long for the party to be over. And our culture is far more forgiving about a divorce (she was just too young, they just grew apart blah, blah, blah) than they are some girl being a "wallflower."

This keeps being laid at the feet of religion and the need to legitimize sexual relations but I think that is a crock. I've not met a female, in years, who is rushing to get married to keep the neighbors down the street from clucking over her sexuality. I've met plenty who feel like life is passing them by if they aren't engaged or married or otherwise being validated because some guy wants to marry them.

I was at a rodeo, last week, and bemused to see a heavy set woman with skunk dyed hair and sparkling fingernail polish holding the hand of a little girl who was, apparently, her daughter. The mother was wearing a tiera that sparkled in LED rhinestones. You have to wonder who is the child and who is the adult, these days.

I think at least part of it has to be our culture of treating everyone else like they owe you something. We share this world, but many people marry before they learn to compromise or to empathize.

I think it's how young people are when they get married, in this state, that leads to the high divorce rate. There's a direct corelation betweeen age at marriage and likelihood of divorce. If you don't have plans that preclude marriage, like living in a dorm, fraternity/sorority house at college, then why not? If your religion teaches you it is better to marry than to burn, well then, why not? If you have inadequate sex education in school and you get pregnant and it's against your religions to get an abortion, you might just get married to someone you shouldn't select. All of those factors lead to early marriage, which increases your chances of divorce.

I think it's how young people are when they get married, in this state, that leads to the high divorce rate. There's a direct corelation betweeen age at marriage and likelihood of divorce. If you don't have plans that preclude marriage, like living in a dorm, fraternity/sorority house at college, then why not? If your religion teaches you it is better to marry than to burn, well then, why not? If you have inadequate sex education in school and you get pregnant and it's against your religions to get an abortion, you might just get married to someone you shouldn't select. All of those factors lead to early marriage, which increases your chances of divorce.

The economics are tied to this as the young in this state(as other states) are not at the point of earning enough and finances cause the marriage to break up. The longer one waits, the further down the road they are in earnings.

I think guys can judge if they're ready and mature enough for marriage by judging how much other things are competing for time away from their girlfriends. If the guy is devoting more time to video games and running around with the guys, then please don't get married. The lady won't appreciate being left alone nearly every night. Money spent on unnecessary pursuits outside the marriage relationship won't help.

You didn't fix a damned thing. All you did was make up a quote totally irrelevant to anything I wrote in this thread.

No I completely fixed it for you. Really it doesn't just apply to religious texts... it applies to everything. People pick and choose what they want to believe about everything. To pretend that behavior it limited to "Oklahoma Christians" is dishonest.

Not trying to pick on the women, but from all of the failed marriages I know of in which the couple were married at a young age I would have to lay 95% of the blame on the women. What I saw time and time again is a young bride who wanted a wedding, not a marriage. In fact they wanted that wedding so badly that they were willing to marry someone they weren't in love with/weren't compatible with to get it. After the wedding was over and the honeymoon wore off it finally sunk in that they were married and they wanted no part of married life.

Not trying to pick on the women, but from all of the failed marriages I know of in which the couple were married at a young age I would have to lay 95% of the blame on the women. What I saw time and time again is a young bride who wanted a wedding, not a marriage. In fact they wanted that wedding so badly that they were willing to marry someone they weren't in love with/weren't compatible with to get it. After the wedding was over and the honeymoon wore off it finally sunk in that they were married and they wanted no part of married life.

There does seem to be a subset of young women who are so enamoured of the wedding process that they are blind to everything else. Combine that with the fact that the type of person who appeals to you at age 18 or 19 is probably going to be completely different than the type of person who appeals to you at age 28 and you have a recipe for disaster.

Not trying to pick on the women, but from all of the failed marriages I know of in which the couple were married at a young age I would have to lay 95% of the blame on the women. What I saw time and time again is a young bride who wanted a wedding, not a marriage. In fact they wanted that wedding so badly that they were willing to marry someone they weren't in love with/weren't compatible with to get it. After the wedding was over and the honeymoon wore off it finally sunk in that they were married and they wanted no part of married life.

I think the 95% number may be extreme but this is a very real problem.