Physical abuse
Emotional abuse
Infidelity
Desertion
Failure to support
Many of those can be understood very loosely.
For instance, I know of a woman who has been married a number of times who has claimed “Emotional abuse” every time. She has committed adultery (while legally married) for at least one of the marriages, also siting “emotional abuse”. For her it means “I want someone new”.
It is a hard teaching, but there is a reason the view used to truly be “Till death do us part”. Does it mean pain? At times. Does it mean you find yourself on the outside without trying? Possibly. That is where a good pastoral group has to step in. To often it is a free for all, and the kids suffer.
The four A’s-
Adultery
Abuse
Abandonment
Addiction
I think there are different rules for Catholics and non-Catholics. Would like to hear from other denominations what their rules are.
And we need to remember that Christ pre-empts the Old Testament of Moses’ bill of divorce.
Ephesians 5:1-33
Abuse, desertion, failure to support. Are these perhaps encompassed in infidelity or adultery?
I’ve wondered, watching a friend collapse with guilt having separated from a truly vicious, sadistic, belittling and contemptuous spouse. I look at the woman taken in adultery, then hear sharia style interpretations of physical adultery somehow being magic, and a full spectrum of other oppression being OK. I guess I just don’t buy it, that narrow definition of adultery.