Posted on 01/04/2009 10:50:02 AM PST by Publius804
The No Blame Game
America is in revolt over marriage. Some 30 states have now passed amendments to protect the definition of marriage, and more will follow. Same-sex marriage has also shaken the decades-long loyalty of African-Americans to the Democratic Party. Only a short time ago, few would have predicted such a public uprising in defense of marriage and the family.
And this may be only the beginning. Bill Cosby's celebrated 2004 remarks on family morality -- and the largely positive response -- has placed a once-taboo subject at the top of the African-American agenda. And another ballot result has not received the attention it deserves: In liberal Massachusetts, a whopping 85 percent of voters defied the strident opposition of feminists and lawyers to approve a non-binding referendum giving fathers equality in custody decisions.
All this suggests that not only gay marriage but larger questions of family integrity and parenthood are set to convulse our politics. Those who cast their ballots last November on the basis of "moral values" may have had more in mind than just same-sex marriage, which is neither the only threat to marriage nor even the most serious. To truly reverse the decline of the family, the momentum must be carried forward to confront the others. And eventually we must grasp a painful nettle: The most direct threat to the family is divorce on demand. Sooner or later, if civilization is to endure, it must be brought under control.
The most forthright marriage advocates recognize that, as Michael McManus of Marriage Savers writes, "Divorce is a far more grievous blow to marriage than today's challenge by gays." Predictably, this fact has been seized upon by advocates of same-sex marriage.
(Excerpt) Read more at insidecatholic.com ...
Absolutely, completely, 100% certainly wrong. The author of this piece needs to check the facts. More blacks voted Democrat in this election than ever before.
I agree with that statement.
I agree.
The marriage vow should be taken more seriously than a typical contract, but since the advent of no-fault divorce it is taken far less seriously. In fact, a prenup is taken much more seriously than the marriage itself. Something odd about that.
I believe you are married until death of a partner. I view divorce as an attempt to break a vow which was vowed to only be broken once dead.
We commonly vow only two things as Christians. First, we make a vow/covenant with God through Christ in accepting and following Christ as our Savior. Second, we vow/covenant to our spouse.
It says a lot about a person when they attempt to break their vows.
I agree. One of the more bizarre things to me is the development of a general acceptance of divorce in the Christian community.
I may disagree with you in that I believe the Christian marriage can be broken by infidelity as well as by death.
Two (of many) things that stun me about divorce are (A) the acceptance that many Protestants have for it despite it being one of the things that Jesus explicitly disapproved of and (B) the fact that adultery seems to no longer have any bearing in divorce settlements in many states with respect to support and child custody (which strikes me as insane).
If you don't think that Catholics have been infected as well, you need to look a little deeper.
Last stats I saw for adults who have been married
All protestants (including liberals) 34%
Catholics 28%
Evangelical protestants 26%
Oh, I know Catholics have been infected and I know not all Protestants have been (I’m not Catholic) but my point was that many Protestant churches accept divorce despite the fact that Jesus was pretty clear about it — more clear than about many things.
And I cannot marry a divorced person, either. It would be wholly wrong, and would be adultery in my understanding.
I agree with you on both counts.
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