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 think the relationship "rules" are specifically designed to counter men and women's natural tendencies. Where sinful men often want to shrink from excellence and responsibilities, women are naturally eager to fill the leadership void that men are want to create. And when men abdicate responsibility to women, problems arise. Hence, the CHRIST > HUSBAND > WIFE "chain of command."
Very well put. imho.
imho and observational experience . . .
men who marry control freak wives
have control freak issues from likely their mother--issues that have never been worked through in their own dynamics, heart, spirit, emotions . . . regardless of the wife's issues.
Those ought to be worked through with lots of help BEFORE marriage.
bump for later read
BTW, JOHN AND PAULA SANFORD'S:
TRANSFORMATION OF THE INNER MAN
is the best I know on such issues and their correction.
Then, ATTACHMENTS by Dr's Clinton and Sibcy would be very excellent.
Well, how about that. Coincidentally, I was just hanging out over here.
Well,, I see it everyday, even my brother, he can't go ANYWERE, without his wife tagging along, or without him asking " HER PERMISSISON " to do ANYTHING or go ANYWERE. But, she feels,, it's " HER RIGHT " to take money out of his wallet and spend it,, so ? do you think ? that's right for a women to do to her husband ? or a right attitude of a women ? tell me ? Whether women like it or not,, or, the Feminist like it or not,, GOD ( not men, not me, but GOD ) is the one, who put the HUSBAND in charge of the family, and it is GOD who holds the HUSBAND responsible and accountable for the family. Yes ladies, GOD holds the HUSBAND accountable for the family.
Yes.
Feminism as manifested in our era is a blatant tool of the globalists, communists, satan etc.
Nevertheless, if there weren't some glaring flaws in the LIVED OUT CHRISTIANITY in the culture, such hideocies would never have gained a foothold. We have ourselves to thank for such outrages.
Explain ? it to me ?
Thank you. I've "been a Christian" for twenty five years, but it was only within the last couple of years that I truly humbled myself before God and genuinely received Christ's redemption. I wouldn't get on FR and blather nonsense that Christianity appears to be if I didn't know first-hand that "this stuff works." To paraphrase the Christian actor Baldwin brother.
"Healing the Wounded Spirit"
by John and Paula Sanford is very good too.
So basically what your saying is the women should be in charge of the family ( even though, it's not BIBLICAL ) and the man is just a woman's SLAVE ?? He just basically brings home the money, she treats him like trash ( that's the image of the way the feminist want things ).
The men to support the women, but, the women have their " INDEPENDENCE " too, is that the way you women want it ? men as your SLAVES ? the men to support you, but , still have your Independence too ? Feminism is nothing but a HATE GROUP. So I guess your not going to be satisfied until YOUR RIGHT all the time ? Your not going to be satisfied until ALL MEN are under womens control, and are womens SLAVES ? is that your HIDDEN AGENDA ? Yes,, in your mind,, it's the MAN who should be the one who is " SUBMISSIVE " that is in total contradiction of the BIBLE.
Why would a Gentile be under the Old Testament laws? I'm not Jewish.
The level of crap masquerading as "conservatism" on Free Republic has friggen multiplied exponentially as of late.
You noticed too?
No I don't think it's right to treatsomeoen like that or boss them around. I also don't think it's right for a man to treat a woman like that and call it 'biblical'.
But why is the divorce rate 5 times higher (I'm guessing at the magnitude) than it was 40 years ago? Something has gone wrong....and that something should be fixed.
The Eastern (Byzantium/Constantinople)Christians,which later became the Orthodox church,was in flux at the time I'm talking about.
I used well known,except by you, HISTORICAL facts and you said history is not the scriptures. And while there actually IS historical occurrences in the Bible,nothing much under 2000 is written therein.Of course you aren't going to find the Spanish Inquisition,for example,in the Bible.
You are incapable of true debate,it seems. LOL
LOL...I shall. I LOVE when you "talk" Chinese! :-)
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