The Causes And Effects Of Divorce

Divorce. How can that one word bring up so much emotion in us? That simple word to some may bring feelings of shame and disgust, while to others it can represent a fresh start and safety from a bad situation. While it would be easy to look at this topic and simply say that it is right or wrong all across the board, it feels inadequate. Every divorce is unique and specific to those within that relationships and could be caused by an array of reasons, so to offer a blanket statement felt insufficient. After looking at this topic in depth and seeing the effect that it can have on both those in the relationship, and those around the, I was able to arrive at a conclusion. Divorce should never be a decision that is made rashly or out of convenience,

In Micah God plainly says, “For I hate divorce,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, and him who covers his garment with wrong,” says the Lord of hosts. “So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously” (Micah 2:16, New American Standard Bible). Even in the new testament we see that divorce is taken very seriously, “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery” (Luke 16:18). There are so many verses that echo this feeling of disapproval towards divorce, but there are exceptions set in place where a divorce may be permissible. David Instone-Brewer talks about three areas where he feels scripture allows a divorce to take place in his article, What God Has Joined, these three areas are; adultery, emotional and physical neglect, and abandonment or abuse. (Instone-Brewer 2007, pg.29) In Matthew we see Jesus speak on adultery as the ground of divorce, “ And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.” (Matthew 19:9) In 1 Corinthians we read, “ The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband” (1 Corinthians 7:3). Brewer uses this to point to marriage being taking care of our spouses the way we were intended toIf a husband and wife or not fulling these duties the way that God instructs us this could be

While certain churches accepted the idea of adultery allowing divorce, the other situations were all in the gray area. This lead to division among the church as a whole and those people who were in the gray. Divorce even under the biblical expectations was often frowned upon in the early church, with one party being seen as the victim and one as the “guilty party”. In her article, Some Church Historical Perspectives on Divorce and Remarriage, Bertha Katschke-Jennings touched on the early churches dealings with those going through divorce, “ The Church was generally severe in the treatment of the “guilty party,” and the punishment was usually ostracism.” (Katschke-Jennings, B. 1984, Pg. 47) The church distanced themselves from whom they deemed “guilty” in order to maintain a firm stance on the act of divorce. The church’s actions have left many people on the outskirts, feeling alienated form God and His people. Culture has deeply changed the way that the church reacts to those who go through divorce. While the church’s view my not have shifted too much on what warrants a divorce, we are seeing more grace given to those who are dealing with this topic , some might argue too much. There are those who believe that the church has become to accommodating to those who are contemplating or have went through a divorcee in order to be more approachable. In his article, Opinions Divorce and Remarriage, Robert Spaemann