Posted on 01/04/2005 12:24:26 PM PST by Keyes2000mt
The words were said countless thousands of times last year as a minister concluded the ceremony. "What God hath joined together, let no man put asunder." But so often man and woman do.
While gay marriage has been roundly condemned in most churches (and rightly so), you will not hear much about divorce. In many cases, if divorce is discussed in church, it's talked about as this horrible circumstance that comes upon people, listed in the same breath as automobile accidents or serious illnesses.
The Bible is quite clear on the issue of divorce. Malachi 2:16 says it clearly, "For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that He hateth putting away (i.e. Divorce)..." Hate's a strong word and Christ reiterates this in the New Testament. Yet, in the church, even in Conservative churches, a man is more likely to feel uncomfortable with pierced ear than with a couple divorces behind him.
There's good reason why the church and conservatives are skittish about this topic. There's no one who doesn't know someone who's been divorced. They fill our church pews every Sunday. We know them to be decent folks who agree with us on a lot of cultural issues. Randall Terry, Newt Gingrich, and Rush Limbaugh have all been divorced.
We also know folks who have been victimized by their ex-spouse: abused, cheated on, and treated like dirt. Or, perhaps you dear reader have had a divorce where you weren't at fault and that you didn't choose.
On the other hand, most Christians know very few homosexuals and even less know homosexuals who'd like to get married. The odds of a pastor offending a large tither whose gay and wants to get married is quite small.
To say our current divorce rate is a national sin is not to say that all divorcees are to be condemned and treated as despicable outcasts. The church should be compassionate, but even as Christ said, "Go and sin no more," It must be proactive in dealing with divorce.
Divorce must be taught against strongly in the church. The church as a community should be dedicated to helping preserve the marriages of the church. Strengthening the marriages of believers should be considered as important if not more so than evangelism. Children of broken homes often wander spiritually and in many cases fall from faith. Thus, a large church may win 100 converts, but if it produces 40 broken homes in the same year that leads to 100 angry and embittered children, it is not truly building the Kingdom of God.
Also, church discipline should be used when appropriate for those who divorce without just cause and refuse reconciliation efforts. Watching Cornerstone Television, I saw former NFL player and Pastor of Antioch Bible Church Ken Hutcherson. He organized the Mayday for Marriage rally in Washington, DC opposing gay marriage. Call him anything you like, but don't call him a gay-hating hypocrite. Hutcherson said that in the past year, he'd censured five members of the church, including some for ending marriages without just cause.
The structure of most Protestant Churches is anti-authoritarian and the idea of church discipline is scary to most of us as we've heard horror stories about how cults have abused it. However, desperate times call for desperate measures and a biblical use of church discipline could aid in preserving marriages.
Secular Action
The devastating number of divorces is an area where the interests of church and state collide. Studies have shown that divorces lead to economic problems for states and communities, as well as the long term problems that come from children of broken marriages. It's no accident that the richest states are those with the lowest divorce rates.
The fact is that anyone who finds themselves in a bad marriage made a mistake at one time or another. Half the time, their biggest mistake was getting married in the first place. To prevent these bad matches or to help get the marriage off on a better start, marrying couples should be required to undergo several hours of marriage classes and/or marital counseling from a licensed minister or marriage counselor.
Secondly, no-fault divorce laws must be reformed. Marriage is the most important relationship a person has legally, yet it has all the force and effect of a month-to-month lease thanks to no-fault divorce laws. The laws should be reformed so a no-fault divorce can only be obtained if both parties consent. This would also reduce the court costs associated with issues of custody and division of the property as a no-fault divorce could only be obtained if both parties were agreed on it.
Those who believe in gay marriage have pointed to divorce as an argument against those who seek to protect marriage from same sex unions. I reject the argument that one evil prospering requires that we allow another blow to traditional family values. However, preserving the family is about more than one single issue and if we're going to be serious about it, we have to address all the issues that threaten the survival of the Family.
Starting a bon fire.
the husband's cool if he was cheated on. Then, happy hunting.
It can be done. I'm living proof.
While in today's thought processes, it's probably an anomaly, it's not insane to want to give your body, and innermost feelings, ONLY to the one that you truly know and want to spend the rest of your life with.
Don't get me wrong, I KNOW exactly how hard it can be. There were many, many times that I was almost ready to crack and ask, cry, beg, wheedle, ANYTHING to get in bed with her, but I managed to keep my head above water one way or another.
So, yes, I do think it's possible. Besides, when you KNOW that the sex ain't gonna be there it frees you up to talk about so MANY other things.
I had several years worth of issues involving my ex-wife-from-hell and my daughter. At some point in the middle of this, probably three years after I'd re-married, he said, "You don't seem to have a settled mind about your divorce. Can we just agree that it was sin, and your sin is paid for?" I cried.
I'm of the belief that divorce is sin, but we can be forgiven.
LOL...I guess that means we're in the clear...from your perspective anyway. :) I'm sure there is someone else here who has an opposing viewpoint, but I haven't heard that yet.
Thanks for taking the time to explain. I appreciate it. :)
Polygamy was pretty widespread in the Old Testament as well as divorce, so go figure.
Will your spouse still be in the building?
Put me on the list and put Laura Earl on the list of never before married women sinful enough to marry a sinner.
not my personal view, by the way.
I am quite disgusted with several of my female childhood friends that have recently walked out on their marriages for no other reason than that they “weren’t happy”. Both claim they’re husbands did nothing wrong, tried their best, and are really nice guys. Both seemed unconcerned by fact that they were tearing their children away from their fathers. Both have lost a lot of my respect. Is it just me, or are women these days much more likely than men to walk for no particular reason, other than self absorption. It's like there's some cultural force telling them divorce is chic.
All I can say is that my wife and I would NEVER get a divorce. Seperate, if the situation was desperate enough, maybe.
We were married by a Justice of the Peace.....
I understand what you are saying, JaJ, but there are exceptions, and saving one's physical life is one of them. When a spouse feels compelled to hide ammunition for the fear of being shot by the other spouse....it is definitely time to get out of Dodge.
OTOH you've met both coolbreeze and me, the idea of us ever seperating has never crossed either of our minds.
I guess that's why I'm left scratching my head over it, lol.
No offense taken----I was just speaking from my personal experience,the only one I know.
Let me clarify...I meant only that some faiths seem to interpret the same verses quite differently. :)
well, that's the way my English lit deconstructionist professor would've interpreted it. frees women up pretty good I think.
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