In medieval times, when the Catholic Church was more influential than ever, marriages very rarely ended in divorce. There were many married couples who would eventually separate and live apart, but due to the rules of many religions, very few of them ultimately separated and divorced. Nowadays, things are very different. Divorce rates have continued to rise over the centuries as religion has less influence on people's lives. More and more couples are entering into marriages that simply cannot last long term. This can be due to many different factors, including looser divorce laws, women having more say in family matters than in the past, and changes in society's acceptance of divorce. . More important than why divorces have increased is the impact they have on both the couple and their children (if they have any). There are also important religious aspects to consider when discussing divorce, especially since there are many different rules and restrictions in each religion. There are many different religions today that all have different rules regarding divorce. . In the past, divorce was prohibited almost everywhere because the majority of major religions did not allow it. This was because Catholicism was the predominant religion in the world, and continues to be so today. Not supporting the idea of ​​divorce, many countries ended up deciding to make the procedure illegal. The situation has since changed, with most countries now allowing people to divorce if they wish. Here in America, where there are currently just over two million marriages, the divorce rate is...... middle of paper ......ov/nchs/fastats/divorce.htmGood and bad reasons for divorce. (nd). Assortment Articles: Free Online Articles on Health, Science, Education and More... Retrieved July 31, 2010 from http://www.essortment.com/lifestyle/goodbadreasons_sjia.htmLehmkuhl, A. (1909 ). Divorce (in moral theology). In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved August 1, 2010 from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05054c.htmMarriage in the Eastern Orthodox Church. (nd). Academic dictionaries and encyclopedias. Retrieved July 30, 2010 from http://en.academic.ru/dic.nsf/enwiki/2023218Rettner, R. (June 30, 2010). Divorce is not always bad for children | Science Live. Live Science | Scientific, technological, health and environmental news. Retrieved July 31, 2010 from http://www.livescience.com/culture/parents-divorce-children-relationships-100630.html