Apr 17 2008
If you follow the Bible it will save tax payers money!
Divorce and out-of-wedlock childbearing cost U.S. taxpayers more than $112 billion a year, according to a study commissioned by four groups advocating more government action to bolster marriages.
Sponsors say the study is the first of its kind and hope it will prompt lawmakers to invest more money in programs aimed at strengthening marriages. Two experts not connected to the study said such programs are of dubious merit and suggested that other investments - notably job creation - would be more effective in aiding all types of needy families.
There have been previous attempts to calculate the cost of divorce in America. But the sponsors of the new study, being released Tuesday, said theirs is the first to gauge the broader cost of “family fragmentation” - both divorce and unwed childbearing.
The study was conducted by Georgia State University economist Ben Scafidi. His work was sponsored by four groups who consider themselves part of a nationwide “marriage movement” - the New York-based Institute for American Values, the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy, Families Northwest of Redmond, Wash., and the Georgia Family Council, an ally of the conservative ministry Focus on the Family.
“The study documents for the first time that divorce and unwed childbearing - besides being bad for children - are costing taxpayers a ton of money,” said David Blankenhorn, president of the Institute for American Values.
“We keep hearing this from state legislators, ‘Explain to me why this is any of my business? Aren’t these private matters?’” Blankenhorn said. “Take a look at these numbers and tell us if you still have any doubt.”
Read about it here.
[From me]
Isn’t interesting to find if people just lived by the instructions in the Bible we wouldn’t have as much pain and suffering? Obviously there are valid reasons for divorce. But if people would commit their marriages to God and would only have sexual relations with those who they are married to it would actually save the government and yes, us billions of dollars! Why should people pay for the sins others?
What do you think?
2 responses so far
Even in our small church, we all too often deal with co-habiting couples. We have had them leave the church before, basically because we wouldn’t grant them membership privileges, even though they were very welcome and we all got along well. Their reasoning? Since both parties had children of their own, apparently they would take quite a financial hit if they married, since they would lose federal benefits, and perhaps others as well.
Yup, basically “we” (the taxpayers) are literally paying people to continue in a lifestyle of sin.
Frustrating in two ways - the money bothers me less than the fact that people are willing to be openly in contradiction of God’s word just for the sake of getting more money without working for it.
I’d rather have my taxes go for those things you have mentioned in your post than many other things our taxes go to. But that’s just me.
Debbie Kaufman’s last blog post..Thank You