HISchild:

So, there is to be no divorce for any reason.  If The Lord JESUS CHRIST could divorce HIS bride, HIS eternal church, HIS sheep, ,  no one would make it to Heaven.  Praise GOD for so great a salvation. Thus, husband and wife should remain together, forgiving one another and loving each other in The Lord JESUS CHRIST unconditionally. 

JeSoul:

A woman is being physically abused, beaten up by her husband daily, sometimes he even beats the children. She has tried everything she can but its only getting worse and she fears for herself & her children. In your opinion, can she divorce him?

mazaje:

Sister Jesoul. . . .How far?. . .

They will tell you to fast and pray. . . .My aunt is suffering from this right now. . . Church people keep telling her that she must endure, she must fast and she must pray, they insist that God will change him and she is not the only one out there that is going through this. . . .The husband keeps beating her all the time, once he slapped her in the presence of my younger brother. . .The next time she calls me and talks to me about fasting and praying am going to slap her through the phone. . .Seems she wants to be killed. . .She has to be alive to fast and pray, dead people don't fast and pray ohhhh. . . .

In doing so, we can conclude that GOD, in creating manking (Adam and Eve), never intended divorce.

Image123:

@JeSoul and co.
i'll disagree like you probably forethought. God does not permit divorce based on adultery but on fornication.

And thank God we have grace to forgive our spouses 70 times 7 times unlike the old covenant.

On your 3rd issue, there's no crime or sin without a solid and sympathetic defense. All you need is a good lawyer/advocate.

But the Bible has helpfully given a separation go-ahead na.
"And unto the married I command, yet not I, but THE LORD, Let not the wife depart from her husband: But and IF SHE DEPART, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife." (1 Corinthians 7:10-11).
Every marriage can be worked at, just as God can clense the vilest, or you don't have faith ni?

cultey:

"For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that He hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously." Malachi 2:16.

For deeper study,

Putting away was directed to men putting away their wives.

In other words, divorcing them.

God hates divorce!

10If he marries another woman, he must not deprive the first one of her food, clothing and marital rights. 11I[b]f he does not provide her with these three things, she is to go free[/b], without any payment of money.

JeSoul:

Reminds me of this story "https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-245335.0.html" A 9yr old girl was ra.ped (had been consistently ra.ped since she was 6 btw) and got pregnant with twins. The mother of the girl approved an emergency life-saving abortion as it was threatning the life of the girl - and the Catholic Church excommunicates the mother and the doctors (but not the despoiler oh, imagine) because "life must always be protected" and they broke the rules.

  I ask them in complete disgust - what about the life of the poor 9yr old girl? are your 'rules' and 'doctrines' more important than her life? Professing christians who insist a woman should stay in an abusive relationship and 'pray' - are your 'rules' and 'doctrines' more important than her life? than the lives of her children? This is what happens when people coldly follow the letter of the bible - with their hearts left behind.

cultey:


Putting away was directed to men putting away their wives.

Image123:

@JeSoul
thanks for raising the dead? i guess case closed then.
On 70x7, no be mi talk am. It's here.
"Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I FORGIVE him? till seven times? JESUS SAITH unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, UNTIL SEVENTY TIMES SEVEN." (Matthew 18:21-22).

The Corinth passage well handles your query on abuse, except you want to hear something else. She may depart, but can reconcile or stay unmarried. it seems that's what it says?

Enigma:

@ Jesoul

Re #3: you'd be surprised what you find in the Bible sometimes 

Not on all fours but I'd say some "principles" can be deduced from the below and accompanying/related material.

Exodus 21

10If he marries another woman, he must not deprive the first one of her food, clothing and marital rights. 11If he does not provide her with these three things, she is to go free, without any payment of money.

InesQor:

WOW! WOW!! Unreasoned religion can blind people and rip out their hearts!!! Merciless fools!



This story is so awful I don't even want to start on it.

Image123:

Oh, so the spouse should not handle the consequences(staying unmarried or reconciling) but the spouse should handle the consequences(divorce). Case closed really.

JeSoul:
@All, what qualifies a man as a "husband" or a woman as a "wife"? that he/she recited a few vows in front of an audience? that he/she lives in the same house as the other? that he/she are intimate regularly? that he/she takes care of the other and provides for them?

justhappy:

@Hischild You must really like punishment or suffering. You have stated you will die before the end of this year, no divorce is allowed, one should part ways from family to follow God and this list goes on and on. Sounds like a person who has done so much wrong and is struggling from a guilty conscience. Therefore, you subconsciously punish yourself and justify it through the bible. Fascinating! From all that everyone has posted here, it is clear that there are reasons why one would divorce. No merciful god would want his "child" in a dangerous or deadly situation. You cannot just compare scripture with scripture, sometimes you have to compare it with common sense.

HISchild:

@justhappy

"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?" - John 11:25-27

The Lord GOD imputes HIS righteousness to those upon whom HE has had mercy and pardoned through The work of The Lord JESUS CHRIST (undeserved salvation), however, if we know the word of GOD and are enabled by GOD, we will want to obey. Speaking humbly, yet firmly, disobedience is rebellion,

"For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king." -1 Samuel 15:23

JeSoul:

Huh  what sin has the abused spouse committed that she/he must remain miserable the rest of their life? Why should they suffer the sins of someone else who refuses to repent? Please do tell.

  you skipped my other kweshion, no problem . But please feel free to answer this question. . . I missed this quote the first time around & I'm not sure how justhappy meant it but . . . at first blush it seems a provocative notion . . . at second reading it doesn't sound so bad - if it will help address the overly fundamental 'read & apply directly' approach of many christians today.

justhappy:
@JeSoul What I meant is that people like Hischild just quote scripture but do not seem capable of any original thought. They have convinced themselves that thinking independently is a sin. Which is exactly what those who wrote the bible would want. How is this any different than suicide bombers, who do not question their beliefs and think they are being obedient. So, there are some things where common sense is necessary. For this thread, in the case of marriage, a spouse who is unfaithful, sleeps around with men and women, has abandoned his partner, threatened his partners life, and simply has put the person in danger. Common sense would say to leave. But according to Hischild the bible says absolutely not. That is just plain ignorant and ridiculous.

justhappy:

You cannot just compare scripture with scripture, sometimes you have to compare it with common sense. [/b]

JeSoul:

Your concerns are 100% seconded - and this is a very solid reason why people like yourself are perplexed sometimes by 'religious' people.

  Let me assure you though - I am a christian who believes in & follows the bible, and there are many of us who do not subscribe to a raw, fast & furiously direct application of scriptures verses that were written in a totally different time, for a totally different circumstance, to a totally different audience, immersed in a totally different culture.

Scripture is dynamic - not rigid. We study and glean important truths from both NT & OT. We take the principles and godly guidelines everywhere from Abraham to the ultimate in Jesus Christ and then fashion our lives after them. It brings life & freedom - not bondage to the rigid following of rules without understanding the heart & motive and most importantly purpose behind those commands.

---

@my fellow christians,
  Jesus chastized the Pharisees often. Why? because though they were obedient to the Law, their hearts and motives for doing so were impure. Jesus also chastized Martha, for complaining about Mary sitting at His feet instead of helping with the house work. Should the housework not be done? of course not - but in that instance - it was more important to sit and learn. Does God want divorce? of course not - but in certain instances it is the right course of action. If I will be so bold as to say it is more important in the sight of God to save a life - than to follow a doctrine, a doctrine of which the application to every single case is even suspect to begin with.

  There was a thread a week or so ago. A girl was run over by a bus but none of the men standing around moved a finger to help her. Their reason? they were muslim & they were fasting and it was against the religion to touch a woman during this time. Isn't this exactly what christians who insist a spouse remain in an abusive situation are also doing? Standing around and pointing to their 'religion' as justification for something you know is wrong? Please look in the mirror my fellow religious people, is the obedience of a doctrine more important than saving a life?

justhappy:

@Jesoul Thank you for this response. I am a person who is on the fence about Christianity. Trying to understand all of this. When I read the posts of someone like Hischild, which are literal interpretations and talk about unwavering obedience to the letter of the law, no divorce, abandon family to follow God, May 21 is judgment day, and the world will end this year etc, it is hard to take these beliefs seriously. But your post right now is quite refreshing and allows me to look more closely at Christianity with an open mind. Thank you!