Posted on 04/30/2014 9:57:19 AM PDT by Gamecock
Full Title: And What About Divorce? When it comes to debating homosexuality among Christians, the issue of divorce is both a smokescreen and a fire.
After last weeks post* on gluttony, a host of similar comments bubbled up about divorce. Isnt it hypocritical of Christians to protest so loudly about homosexuality when the real marital problem in our churches is divorce? Over many years debating these issues in my own denomination, Ive often encountered the divorce retort: Its easy for you to pick on homosexuality because thats the issue in your church. But you dont follow the letter of your own law. If you did, you would be talking about divorce, since thats the bigger problem in conservative churches.
A Smokescreen When it comes to debating homosexuality among Christians, the issue of divorce is both a smokescreen and a fire. It is a smokescreen because the two issues-divorce and homosexuality-are far from identical.
For starters, there are no groups in our denominations whose raison detre is the celebration of divorce. People are not advocating new policies in our churches that affirm the intrinsic goodness of divorce. Conservatives, in the culture and in the church, keep talking about homosexuality because that is the fault line right now. Wed love to talk (and do) about how to have a healthy marriage. Wed love for that matter to spend all our time talking about the glory of the Trinity, but the battle right now (at least one of them) is over homosexuality. So we cannot be silent on this issue.
Just as importantly, the biblical prohibition against divorce explicitly allows for exceptions; the prohibition against homosexuality does not. The traditional Protestant position, as stated in the Westminster Confession of Faith for example, maintains that divorce is permissible on grounds of marital infidelity or desertion by an unbelieving spouse (WCF 24.5-6). Granted, the application of these principles is difficult and the question of remarriage after divorce gets even trickier, but almost all Protestants have always held that divorce is sometimes acceptable. Simply put, homosexuality and divorce are different issues because according to the Bible and Christian tradition the former is always wrong, while the latter is not.
Finally, the what about divorce? argument is not as good as it sounds because many of our churches do take divorce seriously. I realize that many churches dont (more on that in a minute). But a lot of the same churches that speak out against homosexuality also speak out against illegitimate divorce. Ive preached on divorce a number of times, including a sermon a few years ago entitled, What Did Jesus Think of Divorce and Remarriage? Ive said more about homosexuality in the blogosphere because theres a controversy around the issue in the culture in the wider church. But Ive never shied away from talking about divorce. I take seriously everything the Westminster Confession of Faith says about marriage. Marriage is to be between one man and one woman (WCF 24.1). It is the duty of Christians to marry only in the Lord (WCF 24.3). Only adultery and willful desertion are grounds for divorce (WCF 24.6).
As a board of elders, we treat these matters with the seriousness they deserve. We ask new members who have been divorced to explain the nature of their divorce and (if applicable) their remarriage. This has resulted on occasion in potential new members leaving our church. Most of the discipline cases weve encountered as elders have been about divorce. The majority of pastoral care crises we have been involved in have dealt with failed or failing marriages. Our church, like many others, takes seriously all kinds of sins, including illegitimate divorce. We dont always know how to handle every situation, but I can say with a completely clear conscience that we never turn a blind eye to divorce.
And Undoubtedly Some Fire Having said all that, its undoubtedly the case that many evangelicals have been negligent in dealing with illegitimate divorce and remarriage. Pastors have not preached on the issue for fear of offending scores of their members. Elder boards have not practiced church discipline on those who sin in this area because, well, they dont practice discipline for much of anything. Counselors, friends, and small groups have not gotten involved early enough to make a difference in pre-divorce situations. Christian attorneys have not thought enough about their responsibility in encouraging marital reconciliation. Church leaders have not helped their people understand Gods teaching about the sanctity of marriage, and we have not helped those already wrongly remarried to experience forgiveness for their past mistakes.
So yes, there are plank-eyed Christians among us. The evangelical church, in many places, gave up and caved in on divorce and remarriage. But the remedy to this negligence is not more negligence. The slow, painful cure is more biblical exposition, more active pastoral care, more faithful use of discipline, more word-saturated counseling, and more prayerfor illegitimate divorce, for same-sex behavior, and for all the other sins that are more easily condoned than confronted.
*But What About Gluttony!?! Do Christians focus on homosexuality and ignore sins like gluttony?
Birth control as the cause of immorality and such in this country is a non-Protestant talking point.
Are you Protestant?
Of course divorce in the church is a problem; that doesn’t make homosexuality any less of a problem. If your car has a bad transmission you fix the transmission - you don’t stick dynamite under the hood and blow it up.
That’s interesting. I never noticed that before.
The context of the passage is God comparing Jerusalem to Sodom and Samaria as if they were all prostitute sisters. I am sure that would make a minister a bit uneasy about using it in context for a sermon. I certainly have never heard such a sermon!!
Do you really suppose there is no correlation between the advent of the BCP, infidelity, and divorce?
No you didn’t.
You failed to answer the question.
Are you Protestant?
Your link doesn’t work. It doesn’t take you to the article but rather to a google search page.
Say you get married by the state but don’t make a religious vow, and you go and have children. Is that couple married in the eyes of God?
Marriage by definition is a promise involving God. There is zero need for the official state to recognize it in any way. Ever seen Braveheart?
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