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.
And I doubt that these strict,rigid,only the WORD OF GOD proponents live that way themselves.
WELL SAID.
THX.
Need to get another copy and finish that one. Mine got lent to someone some time ago!
THE COMMUNIST, GLOBALIST, SATANIST, liberal, hideous nonsense gets in the air, water and food.
Even normally sane people don't realize their mind has been co-opted by hogwash.
Sigh.
The Bible teaches,, in EPH chapter 5 verse 25 " Husbands, Love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it "
B) Judaism teaches that men and women have different obligations that are equally important.
YUP.
Alas, I don't think it will be until all evil has been done away with on the planet. . . . given that
that
seems scheduled for our era.
XIE XIE!
WO AI NI YE.
XAO XIN.
That's the most nothing,I've seen posted in a very long time. LOL
But let's talk about your "ad hoc clique",for the nonce. By your own definition,YOU are part of another CLIQUE. Better look to that beam in your own eye,before screaming about the wee mote in others'. And you should slowly put down those stones,oh you,who live in a house of glass.
Quite so.
None of us can live up to even our own paltry standards in our own strength. Which is back at the need for and essence of The Gospel, to begin with.
PTL FOR JESUS' BLOOD!
That's exactly what I was trying to get at in post #37.
It isn't legally being able to get a divorce that causes people to want a divorce. (although being financially rewarded for divorce in some cases does that, but family law is the cause of that, not the solution).
Even if divorce were completely outlawed, people will still get them, even if not legally. One simply walks out the door, and the marriage is over. Laws can never stop that.
The real issue here is: Why do people want to walk out the door to begin with?
The answer(s) are extremely complex and lengthy, and have deep seated roots that took a long time to come about. Fixing them will take even longer, if at all.
That said, you need to understand that not every is Christian therefore not everyone shares your view.
The real issue here is: Why do people want to walk out the door to begin with?
The answer(s) are extremely complex and lengthy, and have deep seated roots that took a long time to come about. Fixing them will take even longer, if at all.
I don't think that anyone would disagree that, americans (men and women) are, generally, more selfish today than they used to be.
And that our society encourages such selfishness.
Many people today get married for what they can get out of it ... while true marriage is, ultimately, about serving one another (and one's children).
My parents have been married for 30 years. I Don't need any big government BS counseling by some bureaucrats.
taxed severely
Taxes are the solution of left wing big government socialists.
And while I'm not 'shacking up', any entity that forces my living arrangements will be considered a burgular in my castle and dealt with accordingly.
Chinese New Year is almost upon us...so HAPPY YEAR OF THE ROOSTER!
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