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.
I normally don't get involved in the threads that attract the holier-than-thou types.......but I obviously got caught up in this one.
But if it happens again, I will remember your generous offer, and please know you are free to ping me if you find yourself in need of assistance.
yes, snake is a very good image analogy!!!!
And the Draconian things you've just posted,are silly;really they are.
You make it a rule and stick to it. Of course,it helps if one starts this from day one. LOL
Well, if her butt qualifies for it's own zip code I agree . . .
[someone had to say it]
Doesn't surprise me.
Me either. LOL
Ditto. Divorce was one of the best things to ever happen to me as well. Luckily however, we had no children.
I can't disagree with anything you are saying..............and it happens on many more topics than just the issue of divorce or religion.
Indeed. I got your back. :)
Mine, too. Plus he gives great massages...I have some back issues, so this is a BIG plus. :)
Yes,it does;sadly,
Gonna play pool online with my brother now, but catch y'all later!
Your heart may be in the right place.........but your idea is sheer lunacy.
Gracias!!!!!!!!
Thanks.
We've tried..........We may not be perfect, but I think we're pretty good parents.
I don't see what good making it more difficult to get divorced will do. It's a classic leading a horse to water dilema.
Then they shouldn't get married... if they want to cheat and carouse,etc. let them stay single and stop making a mockery of marriage.
:-)
I stated marriage was a religious covenant...not necessarily to be done by a religious authority. God established the covenant of marriage. God defined Adam and Eve married by declaring Eve Adam's wife in Gen 2, if you must be told because you are acting in a rebellious spirit. Later Christ reveals in new testament scripture the symbolism between Christ and the church as a marriage...a covenant. Commom Christian teaching. Hello!?
Jews have not existed, per se, since 'time immortal'. Stop mass exagerations. Jews were permitted to divorce...from Moses on, but from the beginning it was not so....read for yourself in Matt 19:8,9
(Christ said to them, "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your WIVES, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultury; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultury."
Earlier in Verse 4 Jesus further declares who married Adam and Eve.
QED
Try this one on, Jezebel......to prevent women from cacklin' about like school girls about something, without knowledge, as immature girls are apt to do..... try looking up 1Cor 14:34,35 and live by it. Instead I'm sure you will keep trying to gossip about the false idol you have created for yourself....a god, ANY god that is not the one as reveiled by scripture....and as far as what version....I lov'em all! If you don't know what Christ said regardi divorce, or the history of creation and marriage, I hardly think you capable of decerning differences in translations.
Lilith? "For some" "Second wife" wow...got yourself into some bad teachings, huh? I see yout 'truth' blOws in the wind, honey.
1Tim 2:12 "And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence." because for everything that comes out of you...you will be held accountable.
Tinhat preacher out.
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