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.
Okay, you're just scaring me.
LOL!!!!!!!!!
The judge is a very old and dear friend of both hubby and me and the restaurant,where we got married, which was a whorehouse in the 50s and 60s, is owned by a couple who are also very dear friends of ours.
Thank you for the clarification. I thought that was where you were going, but I wasn't 100% sure.
The advocates of same-sex marriage make a very compelling case that divorce is far more damaging to society. I doubt we would be debating same-sex marriage now if it weren't for the prevalence of opposite-sex divorce.
I bet it was a nice ceremony then. :)
You are one of the sanctimonious souls to whom I was referring.
I have no guilt whatsoever. I feel sorry for those who profess to be Christians yet consider condemning a woman (or man) to a life of abuse at the hands of a spouse to be less of a sin than that of divorce.
If some of these "Christians" are indicitative of Christianity, I want no part of their version of "Christianity."
"Judge not, lest ye be judged" does not seem to come into their mindset.
Of course many of them don't consider Catholics to be Christians anyway.......but that's their problem not mine.
BTW, I just re-read xchrist's (I think that is the name) lat post to me, and it looks like he still thinks I am not married to my husband. Would you take a look at it and see if you are reading it the same way? I don't want to go off on him if I'm just being over-sensitive.
Thanks.
It's 343, btw!
Don't be divorced!
Don't have premarital sex!
Don't buy porn!
I guess it's lotion and the victoria secret catalogue.
LOL!!!!!!
When our daughter was about 3, her favorite video was "when mommy and daddy got married." The ceremony is actually rather comical.........the Judge had to stop it at one point to ask for a kleenex for the bride who had mascara running down her face, the groom dropped the ring and someone shouted "fumble", and then the bride was unable to get the ring on the groom's finger!!!!!
Other than that, it was a lovely ceremony!!!
(said daughter was born 17 months AFTER the ceremony)
Okay, how's this for scary? All I could think about while that was playing was how I could play that and totally screw with my kids' heads. Hahahaha
LOL! That's great! My husband and I were teasing each other mercilessly while we were waiting for the JP to finish up his paperwork, and I remember him asking us "Are you sure you two want to get MARRIED?" LOL
I think he was reassured when we stood up to say our vows and my hands were shaking from nervousness and I almost fainted! LOL I think he realized then that the teasing was just nerves. :)
Then, as we were leaving, he said, "You've done the drive through wedding, don't do the drive through dinner to celebrate!" Unfortunately, he said that to a pregnant lady, and of course, because of that comment, I made Mr. Ex take me to Wendy's afterwards! LOL
BTW, we were already engaged when we got pregnant, to anyone who is curious...we just moved the date up! We've been married almost six years now and have three kids together with one more on the way.
You're twisted, sister. :-)
Merci.
You're not being overly sensitive.......he/she obviously doesn't think my husband and I are married either.
Maybe it's just me, but I find those that have to constantly harp about their "Christianity" or another's supposed lack thereof must be missing something very meaningful in their lives.
I have my faith, but feel no need to either wear it upon my sleeve or shove it down the throats of others.
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