No Fault Divorce

Richard Hollerman

What do we mean by “no fault” divorce?  We know that this is a rather recent phenomenon and it agrees with the more liberal views in the United States. We find this in Wikipedia:

With a law adopted in 1969, California became the first U.S. state to permit no-fault divorce. California’s law was framed on a roughly contemporaneous effort of the non-governmental organization National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, which began drafting a model of no-fault divorce statute for states to consider in 1967. (A Reminiscence About The Uniform Marriage and Divorce Act-and Some Reflections About Its Critics and Its Policies, Robert J. Levy, 44 BYU L. Rev. 43 (1991). See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No-fault_divorce/

We know that divorce before this time was considered adultery and the Roman Catholic Church had the law that said that any divorce was considered adulterous. Since that time, there has been a loosening of these restrictions but still divorce would be considered adulterous under most circumstances.

When we think of “no fault” divorce, we find the following:

Why should Christians never divorce?

Christians see marriage as vows taken before God, and divorce is not encouraged. For some Christians, particularly Roman Catholics, and also Eastern Orthodox Christians, as well as some Anglicans, marriage is a sacrament and cannot be dissolved spiritually even if the couple divorces legally. (See particularly: https://www.crosswalk.com/family/marriage/no-fault-divorce-a-national-catastrophe. See also: https://ethosinstitute.sg/no-fault-divorce-and-the-abolition-of-marriage/)

Although the matter of divorce is one that is open to different interpretations, we offer the following.

  1. The Roman Catholic, Orthodox churches, and Anglican Churches would forbid all
  2. Protestants generally have allowed for divorce under limited circumstances, such as the adultery of the one person against the other (particularly the woman against the husband).
  3. Sometimes we find further provision in allowing for divorce for “desertion.”
  4. Sometimes, there is no allowance for divorce at all.
  5. And, at times, we find that there may be this allowance if the one person is physically abused.

We know that sometimes there are other allowances We encourage you to type in “divorce” on the subject line in my website: www.Truediscipleship.com.

Under certain circumstances, people believe that God permits the divorce but doesn’t allow for remarriage. Further, we also find another view that says that one may divorce for unbiblical reasons providing the marriage was before the divorce. We do explore many of these variations on the above website.

Thus, we must remember:

  1. It is better for two people who love God with all of their hearts to marry!
  2. It is also good to have two people who love each other to marry.
  3. There must be no separation at all.
  4. There must not be a divorce after such a separation.
  5. If there is a divorce of one’s partner, this must not be caused by our own fault but by the other.
  6. Even if there is a divorce, let there be no remarriage.
  7. If there were to be a remarriage, the same rules apply as above.
  8. It is better to remain unmarried than to bring another marriage, then separation, then divorce, then marriage into view.
  9. Children are the “glue” that brings two people together and keeps them joined. And let this be not one or two children, but many of them.
  10. If one has been married before and then divorced for “unbiblical” reasons or causes, this would disallow remarriage.

These are a few of the “rules” that should guide our marital actions. We must also remember:

  1. To divorce and remarriage is to commit adultery (Matthew 19:9; Mark 10:11-12; Luke 16:18; Romans 7:2-3).
  2. When one commits adultery (apart from repentance), he will suffer eternally with the wrath of God (See Ephesians 5:3-7; Colossians 3:5-7; Hebrews 13:4; Revelation 21:8).
  3. No amount of pleasure or happiness on earth is worth comparing with the eternal joy that comes in Christ and living for Him.
  4. The “no fault” provision that has only been available for a few years, is not a help or a blessing.
  5. Keep in mind that we are referring to divorce, something that happens when the provisions of God are unheeded.

  1. It is not worth disregarding the will of God for a few years of pleasure (?) here when eternity (years upon years upon years) lies out before us.
  2. It is good also to remember that the 16 or 17 or 18 year old person should keep in mind the Biblical view of marriage, divorce, and remarriage in mind! No amount of pleasure (?) on earth can compare with an eternity with God and with an eternity away from Him in eternal anguish!

These are a few facts to keep in mind now if you are young and have a life before you! And if you are older, with one or two “marriages” behind you, these facts are also urgently a matter for you to consider!