Marriage and divorce in christianity

[nobspeople]

It was once said to be a sin to get divorced (some sect may still see it this way as some don't).
It was once said that marriage is a 'special' contract, blessed by god (some may not see it that way any longer).


For discussion:
How does your faith deal with marriage and divorce?

Does it hold marriage in high standard yet allow divorce? If marriage is 'special', can it only be preformed by a priest? If it allows divorce, under what circumstances? And why?
Does it hold marriage in a high standard and frown on (or prohibit) divorce?
Does it not care much about either, marriage or divorce?

What's your opinion about the secular marriage and divorce today?

A lot of questions that could be dealt with in individual threads, so feel free to initialize which discussion point(s) you wish, but keep in mind others may ask your POV on a point on which you didn't initially address - which is totally fair and even expected.

[Tcg]

Yes, this rephrase doesn't include a question. However, it doesn't change the fact that your earlier statement was in fact a question.


Tcg

Line 1: That is true, I admit that.

Line 2: I am very sorry about that. My bad.

JW

No need to be sorry. I've simply stated a fact that you earlier claimed not to be true. It is in fact true. You asked a question and then denied doing so.


Tcg

[nobspeople]

https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-set ... l-assault-

In fact, the organization has reportedly engaged in an active cover-up for decades. According to a report in The Atlantic, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (the organization that oversees Jehovah’s Witnesses) told its congregations back in 1997 to write detailed reports about known predators, keep a copy for their congregation’s records, and send a copy to Watchtower’s headquarters, sharing the information with no one else.

As a result, over the course of more than two decades, through the more than 10,000 congregations in the U.S. and more across the globe, the Jehovah’s Witnesses essentially created a database of child molesters who had not been officially documented. Most of these cases have not been shared with law enforcement.

So the Catholic hierarchy is not alone in protecting sexual abusers. When you read the report it all comes across as an effective way to create a pedophile ring embedded within a trusting community.

To me, that's one of the problems with such an organization: TRUST. Many people inherently trust 'the church' and even church members. They're held to a higher standard than the 'normal' person. And many times, these people abuse that trust. And, in some churches at least, it's not only tolerated but protected. And then said church expects your money and trust. But what's even more crazy is that people STILL trust and give their money!
Humanity is weird.

[1213]

I have to agree, but is Jesus not recorded in the bible* as allowing for divorce on the grounds of adultery?

I have understood it is allowed. It still may not be good.

[troublmaker]

I come from a family where my grandmother lived her whole life with a man she didn't love, but didn't leave him either out of fear of God.
She was never happy with him, but she was happy that she did not betray God.

But she is not a unique example. Many people born before 1950 went through the same situation. We are the generation that does not put the love of God above the love of self.

I, like many of you, believe that God should not be involved in a marriage. Marriage is about us, the humans, and how we feel.
I got married 3 months ago. We had a gorgeous wedding with lots of guests and wonderful photos from the best Fort Myers wedding photographer. We swore eternal love in the house of God, but that doesn't mean I won't divorce if I feel the need.

[1213]

I come from a family where my grandmother lived her whole life with a man she didn't love, but didn't leave him either out of fear of God.
She was never happy with him, but she was happy that she did not betray God.

Nice and sad. Would be nice to know, would she have been happy, if the man would have lived by this teaching.

Even so ought husbands also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself.
Eph. 5:28

[Clownboat]

I come from a family where my grandmother lived her whole life with a man she didn't love, but didn't leave him either out of fear of God.
She was never happy with him, but she was happy that she did not betray God.

So she lived with a man that she didn't love because she was trying to please a god we can't show exists.
Terribly sad indeed.

I wonder if she would have left him and found someone that would have made her happy if not for trying to please this god concept?

[Athetotheist]

It was once said to be a sin to get divorced (some sect may still see it this way as some don't).
It was once said that marriage is a 'special' contract, blessed by god (some may not see it that way any longer).


For discussion:
How does your faith deal with marriage and divorce?

Does it hold marriage in high standard yet allow divorce? If marriage is 'special', can it only be preformed by a priest? If it allows divorce, under what circumstances? And why?
Does it hold marriage in a high standard and frown on (or prohibit) divorce?
Does it not care much about either, marriage or divorce?

What's your opinion about the secular marriage and divorce today?

A lot of questions that could be dealt with in individual threads, so feel free to initialize which discussion point(s) you wish, but keep in mind others may ask your POV on a point on which you didn't initially address - which is totally fair and even expected.

Since this is particularly about marriage and divorce in a Christian context, here's an observation I once offered:

viewtopic.php?t=38941

[christian001]

This is what the Bible teaches about divorce and remarriage https://www.explainchristianity.com/wha ... emarriage/

[Athetotheist]

This is what the Bible teaches about divorce and remarriage https://www.explainchristianity.com/wha ... emarriage/

Here's what the law of Moses says about divorce:

When a man takes a wife, and marries her, then it comes to pass, if she finds no favor in his eyes, because he has found some unseemly thing in her, that he writes her a bill of divorcement, and gives it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, and she departs out of his house, and goes and becomes another man's wife, and the latter husband hates her, and writes her a bill of divorcement, and gives it in her hand, and sends her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, who took her to be his wife, her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the Lord; and you will not cause the land to sin, which the Lord your God gives you for an inheritance. (Deuteronomy 24:1-4)

And here's what the law of Moses says about itself:

And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spoke unto the children of Israel, according unto all that the Lord had given him in commandment unto them. (Deuteronomy 1:3)

You shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall you diminish from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.
(Deuteronomy 2:4)

....when you hearken to the voice of the Lord your God, to keep all His commandments which I command you this day, to do that which is right in the eyes of the Lord your God.
(Deuteronomy 13:19 [v.18 in Christian translations])

Here's what Jesus said about divorce:

"Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?” Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard.
(Matthew 19:7-8)

Notice the difference between why Jesus says Moses allowed divorce and why Moses says he allowed divorce. If Jesus believed the passages from Deuteronomy above, then when he told them that Moses permitted them to divorce their wives because their hearts were hard, he was actually saying that Jehovah permitted them to divorce their wives because their hearts were hard. But if that's the case, why does Deuteronomy repeatedly say that everything allowed in the law is right in Jehovah's eyes? The logical conclusion is that Jesus's take on the law of Moses is incompatible with what the law of Moses actually says.