New York Times Editorial Realizes Dangers of Premarital Cohabitation

          Normally, the editorials of the New York Times are not exactly a bastien of holistic thought that give a respectful ear to the culturally-conservative values that myself and other Christians strive to live by. However, a fellow alumnus of my grad school pointed out this article. The columnist does not take a firm stance, but the post is dominantly statistics and valid points that suggest that (increasingly common) premarital cohabitation is very threatening to a marriage, actually regardless of one's politics, education or religion.
          And the article points out that premarital cohabitation is deceptive in its seeming practicality (e.g. split bills, preview "life with a spouse"). This deception was certainly the case when I and a few other Christian friends gently advised curious co-workers not to live with their serious boyfriends. The columnist, a clinical psychologist, closes the article, curiously, by saying:

          A mentor of mine used to say, “The best time to work on someone’s marriage is before he or she has one,” and in our era, that may mean before cohabitation. Read the rest here.

          But, if marriages are best prepared for without cohabitation, I have some advice for male-female couples who are arguably prepared for marriage: skip cohabitation and get married! (Even better if you do so at a church where the officiant forbids cohabitation, requires premarital counseling, and hosts a biblical welcoming community!). The findings in this (religiously unaffiliated and unbiased) editorial point to the fact that Scripture-derived practicalities for marriage are wise, truthful and conducive to relational flourishing and God's honoring.