Path: utzoo!censor!geac!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: brendan@batserver.cs.uq.oz.au (Brendan Mahony) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: divorce and remarriage Message-ID: Date: 13 Nov 90 08:55:01 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Lines: 55 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu dhosek@sif.claremont.edu (Hosek, Donald A.) writes: >So what really matters in ending a bad marriage? The stricture on >divorce comes out of these two laws. Can you really believe that >God wants us to stay in an unhealthy and loveless marriage? If you are in communion with Christ then the marriage is not loveless, for you must surely love your spouse. I have no doubt that an unloved spouse can be doing God's work in setting an example of love. You know with the help of the Holy Spirit no burden is too heavy. >You must love your neighbor as yourself. Yes even the unloving spouse. >Marriage is permanent >because the love of the two people involved is symbolic of their >love for God. What rubbish. Love in marriage and in general derives from Christ, and is not merely symbolic thereof. If anything it might be a symbol of God's love for them. In any case read Genesis as to why God joins man to woman. The permanence comes from the fact that God creates your spouse specifically for you, there is no other possible spouse. >A loveless marriage is not much of a symbol, is it? What loveless marriage can a Christian be involved in? >Think about this, please. We aren't called upon to come up with >strict legalistic definitions of this and that, we're called upon >to love. We're called upon to forgive. We're called upon not to >judge. Sorry, who is being judgemental? You stand up in church, before God, and vow to love and cherish till death. No-one forces you to do that. God will expect you to keep your vow. Don't expect me to encourage you to break that vow. I'd have trouble explaining that one away. How is it loving to encourage people to go against God's Will? Love isn't just feeling sorry for people you know. It sounds to me as if you think you know better than God. You don't. My position is that marriage vows made by a Christian are binding. If you marry someone else whilst your spouse lives then you are breaking your vow, and giving public witness against Christ. You cannot expect the Church to help you do this. This is a loving position because this action is the spiritual equivalent of slashing your own wrists. -- Brendan Mahony | brendan@batserver.cs.uq.oz Department of Computer Science | heretic: someone who disgrees with you University of Queensland | about something neither of you knows Australia | anything about.