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EROSION OF FAMILY: Trends for Divorce, Unwed Mothers on the Rise (Guests in EDT and CDT)
Look around Middle America and it may seem difficult to believe that divorce rates have remained steady at 50 percent since they spiked in the 1970s. And yet, while numbers don’t lie, sometimes there is such a thing as “more truth” within the numbers.
Beyond the flat divorce-rate figure—which, arguably, in and of itself is a problem most troubling because we’ve become desensitized to it—there are all kinds of studies in circulation that don’t reflect well on America’s societal fabric.
For example, three University of California, San Diego, professors found that divorce is actually “contagious,” based on the fact that to associate with a divorced friend increases your likelihood of also ending your own marriage by 147 percent.
At the same time, the Pew Research Center just released a report revealing that more than four out of every 10 babies are born to unwed mothers—a disconcerting trend up significantly among all races in America over the past 20 years.
Available for interviews to discuss these and other marriage and family issues threatening the very bedrock of our culture are two authors who can bring the subject matter down to a personal level certain to resonate with your audience. You can call Special Guests to book them separately, or together as a guest panel.
Dr. John Bell is a physician, professor and author, who tackles, in his book, the challenges a couple can face when a woman brings into her marriage a child by another man . . . particularly when that “other man” isn’t interested in “happily ever after.”
In his writing of the book, entitled Invasion of the Baby Daddy, Dr. Bell held special concern for the more than 70 percent of African-American families that face these difficulties, and he is eager to speak to how much harder a man and woman must work to hold their family together in this day and age. Through his own experience, Bell can enlighten your audience specifically to the largely unknown laws regarding marriage and child custody, and how this unknown can impact our lives.
Meanwhile, Rodney Winters is a businessman, minister and divorced father who, in his book, documents how he wrestled with the finiteness of his marriage.
Like many people entering into wedlock, Winters never “in a million years” anticipated the chances of seeing his relationship with his wife fail. In his own personal assessment, he was a Christian man who always tries to do the right thing. He didn’t believe in divorce, and it certainly wasn’t something he wanted.
But, as he tragically discovered, sometimes that isn’t enough. Now, he has come forward to offer others like him a new perspective that can afford hope and strength.
THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES MAY BE USEFUL FOR SHOW PREP:
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/HealthyLiving/divorce-contagious/story?id=11198347&page=1
http://theundergroundsite.com/index.php/2010/07/pew-survey-4-out-of-10-infants-born-to-unmarried-mothers-12948
ABOUT YOUR GUEST, DR. JOHN BELL:
Dr. John Bell has a Masters degree in Health Services from Strayer University and is a part-time professor at the Shelby Oaks Campus in Memphis, Tennessee. Dr. Bell has a Doctorate of Podiatric Medicine from Ohio College in Cleveland Ohio. He practices Podiatric Medicine and Surgery in Memphis and the West Tennessee area. He is a Veteran of the Gulf War serving 10 years in the U.S. Navy. He’s also a member of the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity. Dr. Bell has one daughter and resides in the West TN area.
ABOUT DR. BELL’S BOOK, INVASION OF THE BABY DADDY:
Every unwed mother’s nightmare comes to life in the pages of Invasion of the Baby Daddy, a compelling and moving debut novel that echoes the emotional and cerebral frustrations of unwed mothers throughout the ages. Its unforgettable characters and authentic story line are interwoven with current and real facts about the volume of unwed mothers in our society today. In the story, Dr. Sands believes he has found his perfect mate only to discover that she is pregnant from a previous relationship. Not fully aware of the ramifications of this colossal news, Dr. Sands and Rachel date via long distance during her pregnancy and ultimately decide to get married. In order to make a life together, Rachel must move to Tennessee to start a new life with her husband. But the “Baby Daddy” has other plans for them. Determined to make this marriage work, Dr. Sands goes to extraordinary lengths to try and negotiate with the Baby Daddy. Brimming with honesty from the author’s own experiences, Invasion of the Baby Daddy comes alive with unique freshness, candor and rich detail.
ABOUT YOUR GUEST, RODNEY WINTERS:
Rodney A. Winters earned a BS in electrical engineering from Purdue University, and an MBA from the University of Akron. Along with his full-time job, he also serves as an adjunct professor of business at the Cleveland campus of Indiana Wesleyan University. Rodney is a staff minister at the Galilee City of Refuge Church in Akron, Ohio. He is gifted to preach and teach. He is also a musician, songwriter and entrepreneur. He is the proud father of two children. Rodney has a heart for people and ministry.
ABOUT MR. WINTERS’ BOOK, GO INTO THE HOUSE:
Go Into the House takes Winters’ experiences of marriage and divorce and relates them to the older brother in the biblical story of the prodigal son. He identifies with the disappointment and hurt of the older son in that story.
With this book, Rodney brings a perspective of someone who has been through the dark valley of a difficult marriage and subsequent divorce, and has come through on the other side. He is a living witness that there is hope!
Whether it’s a failed marriage or some other difficulty, we all face tough decisions at some point after life’s disappointments. We must choose to either “go into the house” and enjoy the benefits inside, or stay outside and wallow in self-pity. Winters invites the reader to enter.
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