[Marie]

That's the problem right there. If the rules you propose were ever instituted, marriage rates would plummet. It wouldn't save marriage, it would be the final nail in marriage's coffin.

These were the 'rules' for over three thousand years and marriage did just fine.

[Conscience of a Conservative]

These were the 'rules' for over three thousand years

Not really...

[Sherman Logan]

These were the 'rules' for over three thousand years and marriage did just fine.

Nope. Divorce was extremely common in Judaism, in fact very similar to that in Islam today. Jut write her out a certificate of divorce and send her on her way. When Jesus stated the original plan, his disciples were appalled, and said that in such a case it would be better not to marry at all. Which may be true. :)

Divorce was also common and easy in Greece and especially Rome.

It wasn't until Christianity became the state religion that divorce went out the window. Much of the early history of the Church after the Fall of Rome involves its conflict with German kings who were used to easy divorce and even polygamy. During more corrupt periods of Church history the rules didn't always apply, as divorce was often available if you were sufficiently rich and powerful.

This situation ended at the Reformation, so we're talking about a little more than 1000 years, not 3000.