[milquetoastdog]

Agreed. If a professing believer left another professing believer (abandonment) and later sought a divorce:
1. Do you think the abandoned believer should make it easy on the other one to get the divorce?
2. Do you think the abandoned believer, once divorced, should remarry before the other one does or remarry at all?

Just curious as it pertains to the discussion.

[Frumanchu]

1. The believer, knowing that God hates divorce, should put forth every effort to reconcile with their spouse. However, if the non-believer seeks divorce I don't think the believer is obligated to obstruct that action in whatever way possible. (keep in mind that religious covenantal marriage and legal/governmental marriage aren't always the same thing...you go to court to dissolve the marriage in the eyes of the state, not in the eyes of God)

2. I don't think it's so much a question of "should" as a question of "may" in this case. May the abandoned believer, onced divorced, remarry before their ex does (if at all)? Yes. They are no longer bound by that covenantal relationship, and thus entering into such a covenantal relationship with another is not a violation of the first because it no longer exists. It has been dissolved.