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To: Wallace T.
The divorce rate among evangelical Christians is not too far behind that of the unchurched.

To quote a very important aphorism: "Christians are not better than anyone else - just forgiven."

But, for a man, there is only one valid basis for divorce, and that is adultery on the part of the wife. Else, just as Christ - the head of the Church - gave his life for the Church, a man - as head of the family - is not justified in giving up his marriage/family until he's given up his life for it.

Which makes it a good thing for a lot of men that we don't have to meet the standard of perfection laid down by Christ - only do our best. But Christians who truly embrace Jesus as Lord and Christ need to look on divorce as equivalent to homosexuality or idolatry - sins that provide the force behind the hammer that drove the nails into Jesus. There's no such thing as 'no fault' divorce.
146 posted on 08/13/2003 11:08:09 AM PDT by Gorjus
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To: Gorjus
Evangelical churches have failed, by and large, to give as much weight to the Biblical view on divorce as they have to homosexuality or premarital sex among teenagers. I fear that one reason is that empasis on this matter would hit too close to home for the elders and deacons, and even the pastor himself. I attended a conservative Reformed (PCA) church for nine years, during which time a deacon resigned from his position and a popular member was excommunicated, both due to marital infidelity. I am also sure that the pastor counseled other members for sexual sins in that period. Tortoise was right when he said there were as many shenanigans and divorces in many evangelical congregations as happen in your average Silicon Valley suburb.

One sanction that has been woefully neglected by many evangelical churches, and for that matter, the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches, is that of church discipline. I beleive fear of litigation inhibits many clergy from expelling sexually errant members and forbidding the dispensal of the sacraments. Nonetheless, it is a tool that is essential and part of the duties of maintaining the peace and purity of the church.

257 posted on 08/13/2003 1:12:25 PM PDT by Wallace T.
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