DIVORCE: IS IT A MORAL SOLUTION TO THE RISING BROKEN MARRIAGES TODAY?

DIVORCE: IS IT A MORAL SOLUTION 

TO THE RISING BROKEN MARRIAGES TODAY?
by yerctonsay

Divorce (or the dissolution of marriage) is the termination of a marital union, the canceling and/or reorganizing of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving the bonds of matrimony between a married couple under the rule of law of the particular country and/or state.[1]

Divorce is unlike annulment which declares the marriage null and void. Divorce laws vary considerably around the world, but in most countries it requires the sanction of a court or other authority in a legal process. The legal process of divorce may also involve issues of spousal support (alimony), child custody, child visitation / access, parenting time, child support, distribution of property, and division of debt. In most countries monogamy is required by law, so divorce allows each former partner to marry another.

Divorce can be a stressful experience affecting finances, living arrangements, household jobs, schedules, parenting and the outcomes of children of the marriage as they face each stage of development from childhood to adulthood. If the family includes children, they may be deeply affected.[2]

The only countries that do not allow divorce are the Philippines and the Vatican City, an ecclesiastical state, which has no procedure for divorce. However, the Gabriela Women's Party filed House Bill No 1799 which is the Divorce Bill of the Philippines last July 27, 2010. Annulment is legal in the Philippines. A couple may separate according to the law if repeated physical violence or grossly abusive conduct directed against the petitioner, a common child, or a child of the petitioner; homosexuality, abandonment, and many more.

a.      Statistics of Divorce

 

Countries with High Divorce Rates[3]

Country	Rate	Country	Rate
Sweden	54.9%	Belgium	44.0%
Belarus	52.9%	Austria	43.4%
Finland	51.2%	Czech Republic	43.3%
Luxembourg	47.4%	Russia	43.3%
Estonia	46.7%	Untited Kingdom	42.6%
Australia	46.0%	Norway	40.4%
United States	45.8%	Ukraine	40.0%
Denmark	44.5%

         

            According to Divorce Magazine, these 15 countries were identified to have high divorce rates of 40-55% with Sweden having 54.9% on the top list.

 

            Japan. The divorce rate was generally upward trend from the 1960s until 2002 when they hit a peak of 290,000. Since then, both the number of divorces and the divorce rate have declined for six years straight. In 2010, the number of divorces totaled 251,000, and the divorce rate was 1.99 (per 1,000 population).

           

            Europe. One study estimated that legal reforms accounted for about 20% of the increase in divorce rates in Europe between 1960 and 2002.

           

            Philippines. There are about 8.08 million Filipinos are going abroad resulting to almost

1 million OFW’s spousal separation (PIA, 2004). According Arab News, Gloria Melecio reported that petitions for civil annulments are rising 15 percent a year and 40 percent of adults aged 15 to 24 agreed to a bill that would legalize divorce.

             

            In 2007, there were 7,753 cases of annulment and legal separation filed at the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), a 71.5 percent jump from the 4,520 cases filed in 2001. From 2001 to 2007, the OSG received 43,617 cases of annulment and separation. The figure could have been higher if more married people have the means to break their ties legally. Based on the 2000 Census of Population and Housing, of the 57.1 million `Filipinos aged ten years and over, one percent or 558,023 were either divorced or separated; 2.4 million or 4.3 percent were in live-in arrangements; 4.1 percent or 2.4 million were widowed; 45.7 percent or 26.1 million were married; and 44 percent were    single. Based on the 2002 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study, 40 percent of the youth would support a bill to legalize divorce in the country.[4]

 

b.      Causes of Divorce

            An annual study in the UK by management consultants Grant Thornton, estimates the main proximal causes of divorce based on surveys of matrimonial lawyers.[5] 

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%

            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.

           Social scientists study the causes of divorce in terms of underlying factors that may possibly motivate divorce. One of these factors is the age at which a person gets married; delaying marriage may provide more opportunity or experience in choosing a compatible partner. Wage, income, and sex ratios are other such underlying factors that have been included in analyses by sociologists and economists.[6]

c.       Effects of Divorce

            Some of the effects associated with divorce include academic, behavioral, and psychological problems. Although this may not always be true, studies suggest that children from divorced families are more likely to exhibit such behavioral issues than those from non-divorced families.[7]

I.        Biblical Principles and Presuppositions

           

      The Decision to Divorce. The decision to divorce is usually not a sudden one.  It is a process that begins a long time before the legal action is done. The Christian community should help the couples to consider three things:

1.      The real cause of the difficulties in the marital relationship.

2.      The possible consequences of the decision of divorce.

3.      The availability of help in the crisis from God, the church and concerned persons.

           

The BIBLE and DIVORCE. Several biblical passages that have played an important role in shaping our thoughts on the subject of divorce, and remarriage.  In general, as Bible-believing Christians take the view that God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16) and desires to bring healing, forgiveness, and reconciliation to broken marital relationships.  

            Nevertheless, we feel that there are three situations in which the Scriptures make allowance for divorce and remarriage:  

1)    * When one’s mate is guilty of sexual immorality and is unwilling to repent and live faithfully with the marriage partner.  Jesus states specifically that divorce and remarriage are acceptable when due to this kind of “hardness of heart” (see Matthew 19:9).  

2)      *  When one of the mates is an unbeliever and willfully and permanently deserts the believing partner.  This does not refer to a temporary departure, but a permanent abandonment (see I Corinthians 7:12-15)

II.    CONCLUSION

           

            Although divorce is an experience of growth, change, and positive individual development for some, it is a psychological and emotional death for others. For most, it certainly is a time of tremendous stress, disruption, chaos, uncertainty, and craziness. With appropriate help from understanding and knowledgeable professionals, the process of divorce can be navigated successfully if not aborted.

            Some couples may tempted to opt if they cannot withstand the conflict but it does not solve the problem at all. Nor it is the easy way out to escape and think of remarriage. 

            Morally,  divorce is not desired by God nor part of His original plan in marriage. 

III.             REFLECTION QUESTIONS

           

1.      Is divorce a moral solution to broken marriages?

2.      Is it worth for a nation to accept divorce in order to address the rising problems in marriage?

---

                [1] http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/divorce accessed last July 31, 2014

                [2] One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication in the public domain: National Library of Medicine (5 July 2013). "Divorce". MedlinePlus. Retrieved 2014-11-07.

                [3] Divorce Magazine.com

                [4] Annie Ruth Sabangan, Number of Filipinos Filing for annulment, legal separation up. GMA News, April 1, 2008.

                [5] http://seidellaw.com/top-causes-of-divorce

                [6] Gary S. Becker, Elizabeth Landes, and Robert Michael (1977), "An Economic Analysis of Marital Instability." Journal of Political Economy 85: 1141-88.

                [7] School of Family, Consumer, and Nutrition Sciences (Miller, 2003)