The Roman Catholic Church has launched an advertising campaign throughout the US providing marriage tips. The Michigan Healthy Marriage Coalition has launched an advertising campaign providing marriage strategies.

Why the drive to advertise? The bottom line is that these two groups are trying to minimise the suffering so many of us needlessly put ourselves through.

Humans haven’t changed a lot over the centuries, yet oddly, when it comes to life, living and relationships, too many of us wind up hurt and hurting. Marital bliss eludes us.

Given the immense diversity of personalities and circumstances, I doubt that there is one answer that would solve everything for everyone, but for those with a mind to change, there are proven paths to follow.

The key is alerting people to the possibility that they can improve their marriage. And that’s where such advertising campaigns come in.

James Sheridan, district court judge and founder of Marriages That Work, a group carrying the Michigan Healthy Marriage Coalition’s campaign to Lenawee County, says that [tag]exchanging marriage vows[/tag] makes people healthier, richer and more satisfied with intimate relationships.

A University of Wisconsin study found that out of 100 couples, only 55 will get married. Only 12 of those same couples will still be married a decade later.

Sociologists and counselors say that close to 50 percent of first marriages, 60 percent of second marriages and 75 percent of third marriages end in divorce.

Sheridan said research on the benefits of getting and staying married has progressed from “just a trickle” to the “Niagara Falls” in recent years.

And some of the findings contradict accepted perceptions. Sharon Starling, a marketing consultant who helped develop the MTW campaign, said one of those was that many couples mistakenly believed that living together before marriage was a good way to test their relationship. She says it actually does more harm than good.

“We have to re-educate people because what we have found is that it is harmful to people who want to get married,” she said.

Bill Urbine, who directs family life programs for the Catholic Diocese of Allentown, Pa, said that young couples go into marriage ‘with the idea that love will conquer all’. “They just don’t get it,” he said.

Catholics are less likely than Protestants to divorce, but faith leaders say they still see too many ruptured and rocky unions.

Many Protestant pastors – especially in popular megachurches – regularly devote sermons to practical advice on communication, conflict resolution, even sex. But those topics rarely come up in Catholic sermons.

Priests often require couples to attend pre-marriage counseling, but some counselors inside and outside the church say they’re hard-pressed to find parish-based programs to strengthen existing marriages.

So however cynical you might be about the Cahtolic Church’s credentials on handing out marriage advice and its ability to provide accessible services to support it, one factor to note is the theme running through their ‘ordinary people’ ads.

The message they seem to be sending is that if you try, it will come. That the little things all add up. That if you put your partner first – even for a few minutes in a day – you will start the ball rolling to a happier, more satisfying marriage.

Now, is your marriage worth such a thought?

Share This Story… Add to Onlywire!

Personal Lives Not Worthy

Filed under: Marriage

Like this post? Subscribe to our RSS feed and get loads more!