I agree. I am Catholic and 3 times I was engaged to get married. In my heart I could swear to the guy that I loved him, but I couldn't swear to God that I would love him/stay married to him forever.
I'm 53 and never married. Which is better than 3 times divorced.
The Lord goes on to say that if you divorce your wife and marry another, you cause that woman to comitt adultery.
To you non-Catholics, does His words really mean that?
For those that do choose to re-marry after divorce, there is forgiveness for sin. Still, I would not remarry.
To you non-Catholics, does His words really mean that?
That's what it says.
I agree. I am Catholic and 3 times I was engaged to get married. In my heart I could swear to the guy that I loved him, but I couldn't swear to God that I would love him/stay married to him forever.
You want a hard saying about marriage? A wife is to respect her husband, and a husband love his wife, "as Christ loved the church".
(The disrespect of men that I sometimes see in the white american evangelical-ish Protestant circles I inhabit is a sin.)
The answer to your question is yes…. but here is the problem with your question. It really comes down to a fundamental understanding of what the terms of reference are and what the true meaning of the various words are. What this really comes done to is that before one enters into a discussion on this topic, it means first having a session where everyone discusses and has to agree to the meanings of the words used… to not do so means that people are talking different languages. You said that you never married….or are you just saying that you never signed a ‘certificate of marriage’. What is the definition of marriage? What exactly is a husband or wife? What is the moment in time when a marriage start?…..if you think it’s when you sign your name to a piece of paper, you’re wrong. What is divorce? When exactly does divorce start? Focus on the Family is actually a very good organization that addresses marital issues in Biblical common sense way. Have a look at their answer to this question and you realize how flawed (or at least how difficult) your question is to answer. http://family.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/26520/session/L3RpbWUvMTM5Mjk1MjQwMy9zaWQvMnNRbDVzTmw%3D
Yes, marriage is for life.
"But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.- Matthew 5:28"
How many married men have looked at another woman lustfully, catholic or otherwise?
Here are some things to remember.
"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. - John 1:8
"“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven". -Luke 6:37
"5 For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. 6 But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”-Romans 5-13
Well, she is not committing adultery if she does not remarry and remains celibate. A careful study of the Bible will show that adultery of one of the partners is not an excuse for divorce. A divorced person that remarries when his/her former spouse is alive commits adultery. A correct non-Catholic sees such conduct as an ongoing sin of remarriage adultery. You can review an excellent doctrinal treatment by clicking here.
My wife divorced me in 1972, and I have not remarried. Staying single has been a very interesting challenge.