"One should note that the average divorce rate for a first time marriage in America is currently about 50%, so perhaps keeping an open mind on the subject would be best."

Yes, the system where you get to choose who you marry is more likely to end in your choosing to end it. Funny, that. The YMMV over this issue is a matter of whether you consider the stability of a marriage or the net happiness of the marriage to be more important, divorce rates prove nothing either way.