Why Are So Many Divorcing?

(A Discussion on Marriage, Divorce, Remarriage, and what the Bible Says)

Question

We might think of many of our friends and relatives as well as others who have chosen to divorce. And not only this divorcing but most of them are remarrying or have remarried. Why is this?

Answer

This is a good question and it deserves to be answered. A hundred or two hundred years ago, as we remember our reading, this was a relatively rare occurrence. But no more. Increasingly, people choose to divorce and subsequently remarry (that is, marry a second time).

Granted, society generally was against any divorce at all. In other words, this was not a purely spiritual decision but one’s family and relatives opposed this practice and thought that it was shameful. Society was against divorce and remarriage was nearly unheard of. We think that perhaps people also recognized that Scripture opposed the practice of divorce, therefore married people simply would choose not to divorce for whatever reason.

(There may have been many unhappy marriages at this time and society was filled with physically and emotionally distressed wives and even husbands—yet divorce was extremely rare.)

By the way, California became the first state in which the “no fault” statute began in 1969. (As we know, this state is often the most liberal and evil of all the states.) (Australia became the first country to allow this in 1975.)  Canada also brought the no-fault divorce into the public sphere in 1986, with a waiting time of one year.

We discover that New York was the last state to eliminate the “no fault” provision. We read that “a court must find fault before granting a divorce unless the spouses have lived apart for a full year under a formal separation agreement.” Obviously, this provision was filled with ambiguities and feminists hated it. This does show that divorce was a somewhat late development in history. Today, only the Philippines forbids divorce for their citizens under any circumstance.

In our research on divorce, we find the following:

Countries that have relatively recently legalized divorce are Italy (1970), Portugal (1975, although from 1910 to 1940 it was possible both for the civil and religious marriage), Brazil (1977), Spain (1981), Argentina (1987), Paraguay (1991), Colombia (1991; from 1976 was allowed only for non-Catholics), Andorra (1995),Ireland (1996), Chile (2004) and Malta (2011). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divorce).

Perhaps this will show that divorce is a rather recent phenomenon, even though God would say that this is disallowed at all.

We might also point out that the better-educated marriage partners were less likely to divorce. But those marriages that were inter-racial and from different religions were more likely to divorce. Those people who married were more likely to remain married the older they were. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divorce). This, of course, would apply to non-Christians rather than true believers.

Interestingly, there is a wide variety of divorce, whether acceptable or not acceptable. This is one note that can be found:

Attitudes toward divorce vary substantially across the world. Divorce is considered socially unacceptable by most of the population in certain Sub-Saharan African countries such as Ghana, Uganda, Nigeria and Kenya, South Asian countries including India and Pakistan and South-East Asian countries such as the Philippines and Indonesia. The majority of the population considers divorce acceptable in Eastern Europe, East Asia, Latin America and the United States. In developed regions such as Western Europe and Japan, more than 80% of the population consider divorce socially acceptable. Divorce is also widely accepted in certain Muslim majority countries such as Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon, at least when men initiate it. (Ibid.)

From this we discover that certain countries in Africa frown on divorce, along with those other counties listed. On the other hand, places like Eastern Europe, East Asia, Latin America, and America are much more accepting of divorce. Also, it is interesting and telling to note that, by government decree, all fifty states permit adultery. Although it is a misnomer, this is called “same sex marriage” even though we know that marriage is between two people who are qualified and one of these qualifications is that the parties are of opposite gender. And not merely opposite gender—for many of these would be adulterous—but God only permits two people of opposite sex who are qualified to marry.

In Christian circles, we think that this depends on the strictness of belief or disbelief in Scripture and whether the denomination is more unbiblical (called progressive) or more evangelical and fundamentalist (or more believing). For instance, this conservative Methodist denomination states:

The Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection, in its 2014 Discipline, teaches:

We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman (Gen. 2:24; Rom. 7:2; 1 Cor. 7:10; Eph. 5:22, 23). We deplore the evils of divorce and remarriage. We regard adultery as the only scripturally justifiable grounds for divorce; and the party guilty of adultery has by his or her act forfeited membership in the church. In the case of divorce for other cause [s], neither party shall be permitted to marry again during the lifetime of the other; and violation of this law shall be punished by expulsion from the church (Matt. 5:32; Mark 10:11, 12). In the carrying out of these principles, guilt shall be established in accordance with judicial procedures set forth in The Discipline.

By “the discipline” they mean the “Discipline” that older Methodist congregations used, as promoted by John Wesley.

On the other hand, divorce is more common in certain nations of the world, especially as of late.

Divorce rates increased markedly during the 20th century in developed countries, as social attitudes towards family and sex changed dramatically. Divorce has become commonplace in some countries, including the Divorce rates increased markedly during the 20th century in developed countries, as social attitudes towards family and sex changed dramatically. Divorce has become commonplace in some countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, New Zealand, Scandinavia, and the United Kingdom. (Ibid.)

It should be noted that most of these countries are European or English-speaking. Actually, we speak this to our shame.

This is what we’ve found. Some of you want the “full story” and you will find below the way that divorce climbed:

It wasn’t until the 70s that divorce became statistically prevalent.

United States Divorce Rates Through History

According to nationally published statistics, divorce rates have climbed steadily during the last 150 years. There were a variety of factors that influenced divorce rates. All rates are taken per 1,000 of the general population.

Figuring Percentages

Statistics for these reports, unless otherwise noted, are given per 1,000 people. To arrive at percentages:

Take the rate per 1,000 people and divide by 1,000. For example, if the rate is .3, divide that number by 1,000. You get .003.

Multiply that number by 100 to get the percentage. Taking the example above, multiplying .003 by 100, you’d get .03.

Or to simplify, move the decimal over one space to the left. If the rate per 1,000 is .3, moving the decimal space gives you .03%.

Divorce Rates in the Late 19th Century

According to the CDC’s report, 100 Years of Divorce and Marriage Statistics, (Table 1) divorce statistics were not recorded prior to 1867. In addition, divorce statistics here are reflective of how many divorces there were in the general population, not how many marriages ended in divorce.

1867 – 1879 – .03%

1880 – 1886 – .04%

1887 – 1890 – .05%

1891 – 1897 – .06%

1898 – 1900 – .07%

While there certainly was a stigma attached getting a divorce in the 1800s, divorce still happened on occasion. One factor that influenced divorce statistics at this time was the fact that women, outside of marriage, had very few economic opportunities.

Divorce Rates from 1900-1930

While divorce rates still were not that high compared to later years, divorce began to slowly increase. It’s important to note that many places didn’t even keep track of divorce statistics until the turn of the century which may have caused at least some of the increase in the overall divorce rates. Comparatively, divorce rates during the early 1900s were still low because you could not obtain a divorce without proving abuse, adultery, or abandonment.

1901 – 1906 – .08%

1907 – 1910 – .09%

1914 – 1915 – .10%

1916 – 1925 – Between .10% to .15%

1925 – 1930 – .16%

Divorce Rates During the 30s

While the trend thus far in history had been for the divorce rate to increase, this isn’t quite the case with the 30s. Due to the depression in the 30s, many couples stayed together because they couldn’t afford the aftermath of divorce. It wasn’t until the unemployment rate went down that the increasing divorce rate trend continued. Unemployment was at its highest in 1933, and as the unemployment rate declined throughout the late 30s, the divorce rate increased.

1930 – .16%

1931 – .15%

1932 – .13%

1933 – .16%

1934 – .17%

1935 – .17%

1936 – .18%

1937 – .19%

1938 – .19%

1939 – .19%

Divorce Rates During the 40s

The 40s saw a distinctive spike in divorce rates right after World War II. Some have suggested that many families were strained under the burden of living with a man who may have been incapacitated during the war, or that many women had a new found freedom in working and didn’t want to give that up. Regardless, the spike in statistics suggests that the end of the war definitely put a strain on family life.

1940 – .20%

1941 – .22%

1942 – .24%

1943 – .26%

1944 – .29%

1945 – .35%

1946 – .43%

1947 – .34%

1948 – .28%

1949 – .27%

Divorce Rates During the 50s and 60s

The 50s saw a decrease in divorce, and the rate remained relatively static until after 1967 when divorce laws begin to change.

1950 – .26%

1951 – 1953 – .25%

1954 – .24%

1953 – .25%

1954 – .24%

1955 – 1956 – .23%

1957 – .22%

1958 – .21%

1959 – 1963 – .22%

1964 – .24%

1965 – 1966 – .25%

1967 – .26%

Divorce Rate Jumps in the 70s

Divorce continued to rise steadily, taking a big jump in the 1970s. This may have been because, for the first time, couples has the option of a no-fault divorce. It was also the first time a spouse could cite irreconcilable differences as the reason for the divorce, making it much easier to obtain. Prior to this point, anyone wanting to end their marriage had to prove adultery or cruelty in the marriage.

According to a 1995 Monthly Vital Statistics Report, divorce rates rose steadily during the 70s.

1970 – .35%

1971 – .37%

1972 – .40%

1973 – .43%

1974 – .46%

1975 – .48%

1976 & 77 – .50%

1978 – .51%

1979 – .53%

Divorce Rates for the 1980s

Divorce rates in the 1980’s remained high, reflecting the changing lifestyles and the changing divorce laws. However, the statistics did level off slightly even starting to lower at the end of the decade.

1980 – .52%

1981 – .53%

1982 – .51%

1983-85 – .50%

1986 – .49%

1987 – 88 – .48%

1989 – .47%

Divorce Rates During the 1990s

While divorces peaked during the 80s, rates decline into the late 1990s. While this has been attributed to many factors, like birth control and marriages later in life, the statistics from the U.S. Census in 2011 show the rates making a steady downward trend.

1990 & 91 – .47%

1992 – .48%

1993 & 1994 – .46%

1995 – .44%

1996 & 97 – .43%

1998 – .42%

1999 – .41%

The following information is from another article but it brings us up to the present:

Divorce Rates in America

By Jennifer L. Betts

Divorce Rates in America

A few government agencies track key statistics related to the divorce rate in America, along with other key statistics related to the U.S. population. The best sources for data related to the divorce rate include the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the United States Census Bureau. To truly understand the different divorce rates in America, you need to look at how the statistics vary for a population as a whole and for specific groups.

Recent NCHS Divorce Statistics

The NCHS tracks all divorces in the total population of the U.S.

Year  Divorces (including annulments)  Rates per 1,000 (total population)          Marriages  Rates per 1,000 (total population)          Percentage of Divorces (divorce/marriages)

2016 827,261     3.2    2,245,404  6.9    36%

2015 800,909     3.1    2,221,579  6.9    36%

2014 813,862     3.2    2,140,272  6.9    38%

2013 832,157     3.3    2,081,301  6.8    39%

2012 851,000     3.4    2,131,000  6.8    39%

2011 877,000     3.6    2,118,000  6.8    41%

2010 872,000     3.6    2,096,000  6.8    41%

2009 840,000     3.5    2,080,000  6.8    40%

2008 844,000     3.5    2,157,000  7.1    39%

2007 856,000     3.6    2,197,000  7.3    38%

2006 872,000     3.7    2,193,000  7.5    39%

Recent Census Bureau Divorce Statistics

The United States Census Bureau also offers statistics for divorce rates of men and women of all races from the total population. This information is approximated.

Year  # of Men Divorced      % of Men Divorced (Divorced Men/All Men)          % of Men Divorced in Total Pop. (Divorced Men/Total Population)          # of Divorced Women % of Women Divorced (Divorced Women/All Women)    % of Women Divorced in Total Pop. (Divorced Women/Total Population)

2017 10,891,000         8.6    4.2    14,591,000         10.9  5.6

2016 10,708,000         8.5    4.1    14,831,000         11.2  5.7

2015 10,952,000         8.8    4.3    14,874,000         11.3  5.8

2014 10,729,000         8.7    4.2    14,614,000         11.2  5.8

2013 10,954,000         9       4.3    14,434,000         11.2  5.8

Factors Impacting Divorce Rates in America

Statistics from both government agencies indicate the rates for divorce in America over the last few years have remained steady. Additionally, if you look at the trend for the last ten years, there has been an overall decrease in the number of divorces. However, this is variable based on other factors too, like religion, occupation, race, political stance, and even geographic location. For example, Washington D.C. had the highest divorce rate in 2015, while Hawaii had the lowest. While the divorce rates for men and women have also been steady, more women seem to be getting divorced than men. (This could be attributed to multiple marriages/divorces.)

Changes to Marriage Rates

Like most statistics, divorce rates aren’t in a bubble. You have to look at them in cooperation with other data, including marriage rates. According to the NCHS, the marriage rate is slowly going down. This can offer a bit of insight into why divorce rates have also decreased.

In 2016, the rate per 1,000 of the total population getting married was 6.9%. It remained fairly steady for a few years, going up from 6.8% in 2013.

The 2000, the marriage rate was 8.2%, so it decreased quite a bit between that year and 2016.

While marriage statistics have risen slightly over the last few years, they’ve dropped by 1.3 since 2000.

How Rates Are Configured

To understand American divorce rates, you need to look at how the information was gathered. This can help you to understand differences in statistics.

NCHS Data

Finding the divorce rate can be a little tricky. First of all, you need to look at the number of divorces that are reported through statistics. For example, the NCHS gets their divorce statistics from the National Vital Statistics Systems, which compiles their data from various jurisdictions registration records. They also compile the population from the CDC total population statistics that are gathered through population estimates based on census data. These two numbers are used to calculate the divorce rates per thousand. To get the percentage of divorces for a given year, you have to look at both the divorce and marriage statistics for that year. Simply take the number of divorces and divide them by the number of marriages.

U.S. Census Bureau Data

The statistics from the Census Bureau are gathered through surveys and data gathered through the American Community Survey. While the statistics presented are based on actual responses and numbers, the information is estimated for the population as a whole. This leads to differences in the statistics.

Consider the Source

Reported divorce rates can differ based on a variety of factors, including the population, sample size, reporting procedures, and the source. Rates that are garnered through federal programs will likely have more accurate statistics than sources that use a smaller sampling size. You also have to think about the population. For example, statistics gathered for the population as a whole will include everyone, young and old, which will lead to a lower divorce rate than a sample limited to people of marrying age. Statistics can tell you a lot about the current trends, but be sure to consider the source and other relevant factors any time you are reviewing conclusions based on data.

Regarding the given reasons for divorce, we find the following:

Overall, the results indicate that the most often cited reasons for divorce at the individual level were lack of commitment (75.0%), infidelity (59.6%), and too much conflict and arguing (57.7%), followed by marrying too young (45.1%), financial problems (36.7%), substance abuse (34.6%), and domestic violence (23.5%).

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4012696/

These facts come from the contemporary situation and don’t reflect the past. Another source gives this information that should help us somewhat:

The main causes in 2004 were:

• Adultery; Extramarital sex; Infidelity – 27%
• Domestic violence – 17%
• Midlife crisis – 13%
• Addictions, e.g. alcoholism and gambling – 6%
• Workaholism – 6%
• Other factors – 31%

According to this survey, husbands engaged in extramarital affairs in 75% of cases, wives in 25%. In cases of family strain, wives’ families were the primary source of strain in 78%, compared to 22% of husbands’ families. Emotional and physical abuse were more evenly split, with wives affected in 60% and husbands in 40% of cases. In 70% of workaholism-related divorces it was husbands who were the cause, and in 30%, wives. The 2004 survey found that 93% of divorce cases were petitioned by wives, very few of which were contested. 53% of divorces were of marriages that had lasted 10 to 15 years, with 40% ending after 5 to 10 years. The first 5 years are relatively divorce-free, and if a marriage survives more than 20 years it is unlikely to end in divorce.

. . . . The elevation of divorce rates among couples who cohabited prior to marriage is called the “cohabitation effect”. Evidence suggests that although this correlation is partly due to two forms of selection (a) that persons whose moral or religious codes permit cohabitation are also more likely to consider divorce permitted by morality or religion and (b) that marriage based on low levels of commitment is more common among couples who cohabit than among couples who do not, such that the mean and median levels of commitment at the start of marriage are lower among cohabiting than among non-cohabiting couples), the cohabitation experience itself exerts at least some independent effect on the subsequent marital union.

In 2010, a study by Jay Teachman published in Journal of Marriage and Family found that women who have cohabited or had premarital sex with men other than their husbands have an increased risk of divorce, and that this effect is strongest for women who have cohabited with multiple men prior to marriage. To Teachman, the fact that the elevated risk of divorce is only experienced when the premarital partner(s) is someone other than the husband indicates that premarital sex and cohabitation are now a normal part of the courtship process in the United States.

This study only considers data on women in the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth in the United States. Divorce is sometimes caused by one of the partners finding the other unattractive.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divorce

All of this is from a sociological standpoint without Biblical input. The Christian will have different assessments and views regarding this thorny subject. Although some might say that we should not “judge” at all, we know better. Jesus says that we should and must judge (Matthew 7:3-5) but not judge in a hypocritical way (vv. 1-2). We are to judge “with righteous judgment” (John 7:24).  Also, we read: “He who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is not appraised by no one” (1 Corinthians 2:15). The ESV has it, “The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one.” Thus, we find that it is not only wrong to refrain from “judging” the adulterer but it is a must. We must not be God in this but merely point out when someone is committing or living in adultery, thus faces the punishment of God unless he or she repents.

Therefore, we encourage either the married or the unmarried or the one living in adultery to commit to the following guidelines. We also realize that some of this is beyond our ability to change. Some of it relates to our upbringing and the family in which we were born. In all of this, if we are to find a godly spouse, you will want to commit yourself to these statements.

1. Obey strict Biblical standards of right and wrong—and ever deviate from this.
2. The person who seeks to do God’s will should come from a godly family where the Lord is revered and His Word is believed and obeyed.
3. It would be good that a prospective mate is displaying the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23; etc.) so that his or her character has been changed into Christlikeness.
4. Of course, the prospective spouse should definitely have an experience of salvation. He or she should be born again by the Spirit of God.
5. This person should love God’s Word and be an avid reader and student of this Word.
6. This prospective spouse would be best to not come from a rich or affluent family. Such a person needs to know something about how to manage finances and have some knowledge of poverty. Of course, we cannot specify this for there are all sorts of people.
7. It would be good for the person to have a thoroughly Christian education that has not been tainted with the secularistic or worldly views of the world (Colossians 2:8).
8. You definitely will want a spouse who loves you, respects you, submits to you or oversees you (depending on whether you are a husband or wife), and seeks this in the other person.
9. You would want a wife or a husband who loves children and seeks to bring them up in the ways of God (Ephesians 6:4).

These are a few of the pointers to keep in mind in looking for a mate. In this way, we are assured that the person will not pursue another person as a spouse. (Of course, since each person is accountable to God, we cannot know this for sure.) As you seek for a godly, righteous, and loving spouse, these are some of the factors that you will want to keep in mind. If you do this, you will surely avoid many of the problems or character issues that plague couples that lead to unhappy lives, failed marriages, and even breakups.

The believer will object to divorce because in many cases, the above points were not followed. The spouse became unfaithful and this may have led to adultery. Regardless of the fact that eternity lies out before us and that God loves us, still there are some people so intent on following their own lusts that adultery and unfaithfulness will also come.

When we look at history, the more recent history of the past 100-300 years, and examine marriage in particular, we notice that at first, divorce was nearly unknown. There are many reasons for this, but this is a clear fact of history. Two or three hundred years ago, in America in particular, people didn’t know, personally, about this sin.

However, eventually, divorce was permitted because of known adultery. Then desertion was added to this. This was the day of divorce for reasons that both the person himself (or herself) knew. But some time later, we find the matter of divorce occurring without cause. Lawyers and a woman (or man) didn’t want to go to the trouble of divorcing for adultery or divorce or another cause such as this, and it was decided that there need not be a “cause” for the divorce. Thus, entered into the venue that has become called “no fault” divorce. A person or a couple could simply choose to divorce for “incompatibility” or the like and this avoided the stigma attached to divorce itself.

Thus, during the past 60 or 80 years, there has been more and more divorce and society seems to accept this without question. In fact, people may say to a woman, “Mary, we know that you were under pressure thus it is good that you chose to divorce John.” Or John may receive the commendation, “John, we are glad that you finally rid yourself of the wife that you married for she was not worthy anyway.” With this sort of statement, the remaining mate felt as though he or she was reaffirmed and could go out and marry someone else that he or she found, or someone else that he or she liked, or someone who might be a more compatible spouse. The divorce ball was rolling and no one could stop it.

As time went by, it seemed that people were less concerned about what God thought about their marriage or about what He had revealed in His Word. Further, pastors and preachers were less inclined to demand “Biblical grounds” for the divorce and only thought of the “mental health” of the remaining one or what was for the good of the person who was married to such a lowly person who deserved to be divorced. Now he or she could freely divorce and remarry without the accompanying stigma and without the feelings of guilt that would have been there years before.

With this change of view and the lessened belief in the authority of Scripture, people had no inerrant guidelines to direct them to the right and keep them from the wrong. All they needed to do was to open God’s Word and the issues of adultery, of marriage, of unfaithfulness, and of morality were there before their eyes. But we need to remember that most people refuse to read Scripture. And those who do seem to have pastoral “help” to turn them away from the literal prohibitions of God’s Word. Since many or most preachers, pastors, and priests seem to show little respect for the truth of God’s Word, we can see that people will follow their own impulses, will do what comes “naturally,” and will do what they want to do. After all, the person before them (the other woman or the other man) is desirable and may be a better mate—and eternity is out before them and may never come!

Eventually, divorce was not one in 300 or one in 100 or one in 30 or one in 5 but one in three or so and these people seemed to countenance divorce—and even remarriage. Adultery became virtually a non-existent word and concept. People seemed to have very little interest in seeking God’s will regarding this sin. They seemed to show little desire to even consult a dictionary to discover for themselves what “adultery” or “fornication” might be. (We refer to all people—especially liberal or secular ones—but even conservative ones adopted this reasoning.)

Today, it would seem that very few husbands or wives give any serious thought about whether divorce and remarriage would please God. All of the passages that warn against divorce and especially remarriage are conveniently placed “under the carpet” and what is “good” for the “innocent” party is what has become the focus of attention.

But, for those of us who still give some credence and concern about what God has revealed, we know that the Bible has much to say about this subject. For instance, Jesus says that one who “divorces his wife, except for the reason of unchastity [fornication], makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery” (Matthew 5:32). Further, He says, “Whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery” (19:9). Again, divorce is the subject and unless the divorce occurs for reasons other than fornication, he commits adultery.

Further yet, in Mark 10:11-12, Jesus declares, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her; and if she herself divorces her husband and marries another man, she is committing adultery.” This seems to be plain enough. If one divores a wife and then marries another woman, he commits adultery. And the same is true for the woman. If she divorces her husband and marries another man she commits adultery. Similarly we find in Luke 16:18: “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and the one who marries a person who is divorced from a husband commits adultery.”

We might also want to examine such passages as Romans 7:2-3 or 1 Corinthians 7:10-11. And we need to add that some might also say that the woman who divorces also commits adultery and not merely a man who divorces his wife. It would also be helpful to go to such passages as 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and Hebrews 13:4 or maybe Galatians 5:19-21 (in the KJV) that show the results of adultery.

We know, of course, that adultery may be forgiven if we are willing to repent of the divorce (and remarriage) but very, very few are willing to do this. I have a website and various ones do contact me with questions about this topic but I’ve found very few willing to entertain the thought of repentance and adultery and so forth.

Perhaps it is also good to point out that this divorce and remarriage results in adultery “except for adultery.” We know that some (perhaps 15 to 25%) of those who divorce claim that they do this because of the spouse’s continual and unrepentant fornication or adultery. The remainder probably have the “no fault” variety that has been government approved for many decades now. In other countries, the matter of “no fault” has been slow to be accepted and there continues to be no divorce and surely no remarriage. On the other hand, in scores of countries, the door has been opened to divorce and remarriage of all kinds and this for many years.

We need to bear in mind that it is not merely a matter of divorcing for adultery and the person himself or herself commits adultery when there has been a remarriage. In many cases, one of the underlying “reasons” for the confusion, the conflict, and the eventually “breakup” of the marriage would be the disagreeable (even sinful) attitudes and behavior of the so-called “innocent” person!

It is true that such a person may not have found an unlawful person with whom to show some amorous attachment, but this person’s own sinful behavior may have had at least some part in the breakup. We refer to such sins as the wife’s refusal to submit to her husband, her slander of him or others, her preoccupation with a job, her laziness, and many other sins. On the other hand, the husband may not commit actual immoral behavior with another woman, but he may show a lazy streak, he may be “wed” to sports, he may be over-concerned about his job and position, and His belittling of his wife. Thus, we think of adultery as being a cause of the conflict, but there may be other underlying causes.

The question that we asked at the beginning, “Why are so many divorcing” needs to be answered. Several answers could be given:

1. There is very little respect for God’s inerrant word in many nations of the world, including America.
2. Some religions (such as Islam) allow for polygamy and divorce and then remarriage.
3. Others, such as animist cultures, permit polygamy in many ways. A few do allow polyandry.
4. Certain secular cultures such as China and others permit divorce and remarriage with impunity. These secularistic or Communist lands may think nothing bad about divorce.
5. In America, there seems to be an unconcern about what God has revealed regarding divorce and remarriage. They do what they want to, in a secularistic fashion, and don’t ask what their Creator would think of the practice.
6. In some countries, such as those in Europe, that may experience what may be called a “post Christian” culture, there is very little concern about what God has revealed concerning divorce or any other such topic.

In the United States, there has generally come to be a “soft” view of sin in general—and this includes divorce—and subsequent remarriage. In the States, there has come to be a laxity regarding sin in general and this includes churches, preachers, and saints in general. There is great diversity in society regarding our personal past. For instance, some 90% go to secular schools. (This never would have been tolerated in the past.) Further, the advent of TV and various forms of entertainment has greatly altered society. For these and many other reasons, people come from different backgrounds, they believe different things, and they are unlike in numerous ways. Therefore, in marriage, the partners similarly have difficulty adjusting to each other. Divorce is sadly, too often, the result.

These would be some of the reasons why divorce has become so common and why remarriage is entered into so frequently—with impunity.

Beloved, we need to realize that if one divorces (particularly without an accompanying “cause”, there results in adultery). And adultery, unless one repents of this sin, is one that results in one being forbidden to enter God’s marvelous kingdom (see Hebrews 13:4; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; and many others). He or she will be sent to hell forever (see such passages as Romans 2:4-11; 6:23; Revelation 20:11-15; 21:8).

God is the One who has created marriage for our good. He ordained that a man and woman marry, have children (if possible), and live together as long as they both live—for all of their earthly lives. This is God’s ideal and it is one that remains today (see Genesis 1:18, 24; Mathew 19:3-9; Mark 10:2-12). Will we respect God’s will in this matter? Will we please Him? Will we show our love for Him by submitting to His will regarding marriage? This is the question.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divorce

https://divorce.lovetoknow.com/Historical_Divorce_Rate_Statistics

https://divorce.lovetoknow.com/about-divorce/what-key-bible-verses-say-about-divorce (This is a Catholic presentation)