Editing Cohabitation (section)

===Religious views===
{{main|Fornication}}
{{See also|Marriage#Marriage and religion|Extramarital sex#Religions}}

Studies have found that religious affiliation correlates with cohabitation and marriage entry.<ref name="peer2011">{{cite journal |vauthors=Manning WD, Cohen JA, [[Pamela Smock|Smock PJ]] |title=The Role of Romantic Partners, Family and Peer Networks in Dating Couples' Views about Cohabitation |journal=J Adolesc Res |volume=26 |issue=1 |pages=115–149 |date=January 2011 |pmid=23087542 |pmc=3476461 |doi=10.1177/0743558410376833}}</ref> People frequently cite religious reasons for their opposition to cohabitation. The Roman Catholic Church and nearly all mainstream Protestant denominations around the world oppose cohabitation and consider it to be the sin of [[fornication]].<ref name=Halstead>{{cite journal |last=Halstead |first=J |title=Muslims and Sex Education |journal=Journal of Moral Education |year=1997 |volume=26 |issue=3 |pages=317–331 |doi=10.1080/0305724970260306}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |work=United States Conference of Catholic Bishops |title=Marriage Preparation and Cohabitating Couples |url=http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/marriage-and-family/marriage/marriage-preparation/cohabiting.cfm |year=1999 |publisher=United States Catholic Conference Inc. |access-date=22 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190713192304/http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/marriage-and-family/marriage/marriage-preparation/cohabiting.cfm|archive-date=13 July 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Prager">{{cite web |last=Prager|first=D|title=Judaism's sexual revolution: Why Judaism (and then Christianity) rejected homosexuality |website=Orthodoxy Today |url=http://www.orthodoxytoday.org/articles2/PragerHomosexuality.php|access-date=22 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190127051825/http://www.orthodoxytoday.org/articles2/PragerHomosexuality.php |archive-date=27 January 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> However, others, such as the [[Church of England]] "welcome cohabiting couples in the Church and encourage them to regard cohabitation as a prelude to [[Christian marriage]]."<ref name="Taylor">{{cite book |last=Taylor |first=Ina |title=Religion and Life with Christianity |year=2005 |publisher=[[Heinemann (publisher)|Heinemann]] |isbn=9780435302283 |page=45}}</ref>

Religion can also lead to societal pressures against cohabitation especially within highly religious communities.<ref name=jstor-2781460>{{cite journal |vauthors=Thorton A, Axinn W |title=Reciprocal effects of religiosity, cohabitation, and marriage |journal=American Journal of Sociology |date=November 1992 |volume=98 |issue=3 |pages=628–651 |jstor=2781460 |doi=10.1086/230051 |s2cid=143924400}}</ref> Some couples may refrain from cohabitation because one or both partners fear disappointing or alienating conservative family members.<ref name="peer2011"/> Young adults who grew up in families that oppose cohabitation have lower rates than their peers.<ref>{{cite book |last=Newman |first=B. |title=Development Through Life: A Psychosocial Approach |year=2011 |publisher=Wadsworth |isbn=978-1-111-34466-5}}</ref>

The increase in cohabitation in the United States and other developed nations has been linked to the [[secularization]] of those countries.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Impicciatore R, Billari FC |title=Secularization, Union Formation Practices, and Marital Stability: Evidence from Italy |journal=Eur J Popul |volume=28 |issue=2 |pages=119–138 |date=May 2012 |pmid=22707812 |pmc=3371187 |doi=10.1007/s10680-012-9255-4}}</ref> Researchers have noted that changes in the religious demographics of a society have accompanied the rise in cohabitation.<ref name=jstor-2781460/>

Non-marital and same-sex relationships are forbidden by the Islamic law of [[Zina]],<ref name=Halstead/> and cohabitation is against the law in many Muslim majority countries including Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Afghanistan,<ref>{{cite web |title=New Sorrow for Afghanistan: AIDS Joins List |url=http://www.aidsportal.org/news_details.aspx?ID=4236 |website=AIDSPortal |archive-date=26 October 2008 |archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20081026065259/http://www.aidsportal.org/news_details.aspx?ID=4236 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="travel.state.gov">{{cite web |title=Iran |website=Travel.state.gov |url=https://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1142.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=1 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130801084310/http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1142.html}}</ref> Iran,<ref name="travel.state.gov"/> Kuwait,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.unhchr.ch/tbs/doc.nsf/0/2f5665ae20b956cb8025675a0033cafb?Opendocument |title=Summary record of the 488th meeting: Kuwait. 04/14/1999. CRC/C/SR.488. (Summary Record) |work=Convention on the Rights of the Child |place=Palais des Nations, Geneva |date=28 September 1998 |publisher=United Nations |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604182449/http://www.unhchr.ch/tbs/doc.nsf/0/2f5665ae20b956cb8025675a0033cafb?Opendocument |archive-date=2011-06-04}}</ref> Maldives,<ref>{{cite web |title=Culture of Maldives |website=Everyculture.com |url=http://www.everyculture.com/Ja-Ma/Maldives.html}}</ref> Morocco,<ref>{{cite news|last=Fakim |first=Nora |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19049000 |title=Morocco: Should pre-marital sex be legal? |website=BBC News |date=9 August 2012}}</ref> Oman,<ref>{{cite web |title=Legislation of Interpol member states on sexual offences against children – Oman |publisher=Interpol |url=http://www.interpol.com/Public/Children/SexualAbuse/NationalLaws/csaOman.pdf |archive-date=16 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616214243/http://www.interpol.com/Public/Children/SexualAbuse/NationalLaws/csaOman.pdf |access-date=22 July 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Mauritania,<ref>{{cite web |title=Mauritania |date=8 April 2011 |work=2010 Human Rights Report |url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/2010/af/154358.htm |via=State.gov}}</ref> United Arab Emirates,<ref>{{cite web |author=Dubai FAQs |url=http://www.dubaifaqs.com/education-dubai.php |title=Education in Dubai |website=Dubaifaqs.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mate.ae/flat-and-room-sharing-guide-dubai-uae |title=Dubai Room Sharing Guide |website=mate.ae |access-date=2018-12-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190328043507/https://www.mate.ae/flat-and-room-sharing-guide-dubai-uae |archive-date=28 March 2019 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Judd |first1=Terri |last2=Sajn |first2=Nikolina |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/briton-faces-jail-for-sex-on-dubai-beach-863918.html |title=Briton faces jail for sex on Dubai beach |work=The Independent |date=10 July 2008}}</ref> Sudan,<ref>{{cite news |title=Sudan must rewrite rape laws to protect victims |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2007/06/28/idUSL28849488._CH_.2400 |work=Reuters |date=28 June 2007 |access-date=30 June 2017 |archive-date=15 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130615115805/http://www.reuters.com/article/2007/06/28/idUSL28849488._CH_.2400 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and Yemen.<ref>{{cite web |author=Amal Basha |author2=Rana Ghanem |author3=Nabil Abdulhafid |url=http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/47387b712f.html/ |via=Refworld |title=Women's Rights in the Middle East and North Africa – Yemen |publisher=Freedom House}}</ref>