OUT-OF-WEDLOCK
BIRTHS

Topics: Abstinence; Babies; Chastity; Children; Cohabitation; Family; Home; Marriage; Monogamy; Parents; Premarital Sex; Sexual Immorality; Vows

References: Genesis 2:24; 1 Corinthians 6:18–20; 7:8–9; Ephesians 5:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:3–5; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Peter 2:11

Of the 4.1 million babies born in the United States in 2005, more than 1.5 were brought into the world by unmarried couples. That means, according to government reports, almost four of ten babies were born out of wedlock.

Several factors contributed to these statistics. While the rate of teen births dropped, unwed mothers in their twenties had a higher increase in birth rates than any other age group. In addition, the number of Americans choosing to live together without getting married continues to rise. In 1970, there were 200,000 unmarried-couple households with children. By 2005 that number had jumped to 1.7 million.

—Associated Press, “Almost 4 in 10 U.S. Children Born Out of Wedlock in 2005,” USA Today (November 21, 2006)