The shock value/distraction of divorce statistics
By Wm Tipton
This writing is more of just an observation than a study. It’s purpose is to inform our readers of a diversionary tactic used by some false teachings to divert the conversation from a legitimate breach of covenant and the subsequent lawful divorce and possibly a remarriage and bring that conversation instead to the horrid divorces statistics. They do this in hopes of causing enough of a distraction so as to make the person feel like they are part of a problem and committed wrong/sin when in fact they did not play any part in frivolous divorce or commit any sin.
Firstly let us remind the reader that we do not promote divorce. Our stance is, and always has been, one of ‘permitting’ divorce where all other avenues have been explored and failed and an ongoing covenant breach remains, or in cases where the person is in danger.
We do not dispute divorce statistics and that they are horribly high in many areas of the world today. We agree wholeheartedly that there is a lot of divorce, adultery, physically and sexual abuse, and endangering of lives of a spouse that is going on day to day in a huge percentage of marriages around the globe.
But we will not permit those divorce statistics to divert our attention from the fact that divorce was permitted for these very types of sins in the first place.
The Jews had been permitted many centuries of easy divorce with no guilt, no actual ‘sin’ being assigned to this terrible act of putting away their covenant wife simply to take another (as we see with Herod and Herodias)
When Jesus spoke to the pharisees in Matthew 19 we see in verse 19 that He changes all that. He has not ended the allowance for divorce, He has assigned guilt to the entire situation where the man has callously cast out his wife for no just cause by showing that, even though the man has put this wife away, adultery is committed against her still (see Mark 10) even though she has been put away.
Jesus exposed the adultery that the Jews were committing even though they believed themselves innocent when they frivolously cast out their innocent wives to take another.
Moses had pretty much left it so open that these men not only created a situation whereby they believed they were actually ‘commanded’ to divorce her for ‘every’ cause (some uncleaness) but because no ‘sin’ was assigned to these frivolous divorces they could get away with it no matter how many times they married, used her until they were tired of her, and then cast her aside to take yet another. (one has to wonder if the woman who had five husbands might not have been a victim of this sort of thing, being cast about from one vile husband to another hoping that eventually one of them would be true and just).
So Jesus assigns guilt to the matter in His ministry. These men who callously cast aside their spouses cause a terrible chain of sin and guilt and so they ought not do these things.
But Jesus was speaking about divorce ‘for every cause’...for no just cause at all. He also knows mans heart, that many men are evil, and many women as well. And so He gave exception in a case of an actual covenant breach.
When we get to an actual breach of covenant, then divorce is lawful, Jesus shows that these, in His exception, do not commit sin against anyone when they put away a spouse who has actually sinned against the marriage covenant with a legitimate breach.
And so we end up with two different scenarios.
In the first, the man has tossed out a wife for no cause and most likely simply to take another (a man divorcing so he can be alone with himself is quite rare indeed )
In these cases Jesus has assigned the guilt that Moses did not and Jesus shows just how far reaching it is. It affects everyone in its path and so should not be committed by anyone.
In the second we have a man who’s wife continually plays the harlot and has gone so far as to move from her home and into the home of her lover(s). This is a case whereby she has made herself the adulteress and so her husband might put her away without causing that sin himself.
Or there is a case where the wife puts away her husband because he is cheating on her and abusing her as he feels to abuse. She causes no sin on her part by divorcing or even remarrying later if it happens that way.
Coming back to these divorce statistics, we see that some of these false ones, when the truth fails them from Gods word, will use high divorce rates to try to shock the reader into believing that they are part of all that.
Let us assure you, dear reader, if you have divorced for a JUST cause, such as we have mentioned above, then while you may be part of those statistics, it is completely irrelevant that you are.
Statistics are numbers and have no bearing whatsoever on the lawfulness and justness of your divorce.
If 3 billion other marriages were frivolously ended, that has NOTHING to do with your valid, lawful divorce for a legitimate and ongoing breach of covenant.
Do not let these false ones distract you from the truth, dear reader.
If you had a just cause for divorce, divorce numbers are not relevant to your lawful divorce and even subsequent remarriage.
By Wm Tipton
This writing is more of just an observation than a study. It’s purpose is to inform our readers of a diversionary tactic used by some false teachings to divert the conversation from a legitimate breach of covenant and the subsequent lawful divorce and possibly a remarriage and bring that conversation instead to the horrid divorces statistics. They do this in hopes of causing enough of a distraction so as to make the person feel like they are part of a problem and committed wrong/sin when in fact they did not play any part in frivolous divorce or commit any sin.
Firstly let us remind the reader that we do not promote divorce. Our stance is, and always has been, one of ‘permitting’ divorce where all other avenues have been explored and failed and an ongoing covenant breach remains, or in cases where the person is in danger.
We do not dispute divorce statistics and that they are horribly high in many areas of the world today. We agree wholeheartedly that there is a lot of divorce, adultery, physically and sexual abuse, and endangering of lives of a spouse that is going on day to day in a huge percentage of marriages around the globe.
But we will not permit those divorce statistics to divert our attention from the fact that divorce was permitted for these very types of sins in the first place.
The Jews had been permitted many centuries of easy divorce with no guilt, no actual ‘sin’ being assigned to this terrible act of putting away their covenant wife simply to take another (as we see with Herod and Herodias)
When Jesus spoke to the pharisees in Matthew 19 we see in verse 19 that He changes all that. He has not ended the allowance for divorce, He has assigned guilt to the entire situation where the man has callously cast out his wife for no just cause by showing that, even though the man has put this wife away, adultery is committed against her still (see Mark 10) even though she has been put away.
Jesus exposed the adultery that the Jews were committing even though they believed themselves innocent when they frivolously cast out their innocent wives to take another.
Moses had pretty much left it so open that these men not only created a situation whereby they believed they were actually ‘commanded’ to divorce her for ‘every’ cause (some uncleaness) but because no ‘sin’ was assigned to these frivolous divorces they could get away with it no matter how many times they married, used her until they were tired of her, and then cast her aside to take yet another. (one has to wonder if the woman who had five husbands might not have been a victim of this sort of thing, being cast about from one vile husband to another hoping that eventually one of them would be true and just).
So Jesus assigns guilt to the matter in His ministry. These men who callously cast aside their spouses cause a terrible chain of sin and guilt and so they ought not do these things.
But Jesus was speaking about divorce ‘for every cause’...for no just cause at all. He also knows mans heart, that many men are evil, and many women as well. And so He gave exception in a case of an actual covenant breach.
When we get to an actual breach of covenant, then divorce is lawful, Jesus shows that these, in His exception, do not commit sin against anyone when they put away a spouse who has actually sinned against the marriage covenant with a legitimate breach.
And so we end up with two different scenarios.
In the first, the man has tossed out a wife for no cause and most likely simply to take another (a man divorcing so he can be alone with himself is quite rare indeed )
In these cases Jesus has assigned the guilt that Moses did not and Jesus shows just how far reaching it is. It affects everyone in its path and so should not be committed by anyone.
In the second we have a man who’s wife continually plays the harlot and has gone so far as to move from her home and into the home of her lover(s). This is a case whereby she has made herself the adulteress and so her husband might put her away without causing that sin himself.
Or there is a case where the wife puts away her husband because he is cheating on her and abusing her as he feels to abuse. She causes no sin on her part by divorcing or even remarrying later if it happens that way.
Coming back to these divorce statistics, we see that some of these false ones, when the truth fails them from Gods word, will use high divorce rates to try to shock the reader into believing that they are part of all that.
Let us assure you, dear reader, if you have divorced for a JUST cause, such as we have mentioned above, then while you may be part of those statistics, it is completely irrelevant that you are.
Statistics are numbers and have no bearing whatsoever on the lawfulness and justness of your divorce.
If 3 billion other marriages were frivolously ended, that has NOTHING to do with your valid, lawful divorce for a legitimate and ongoing breach of covenant.
Do not let these false ones distract you from the truth, dear reader.
If you had a just cause for divorce, divorce numbers are not relevant to your lawful divorce and even subsequent remarriage.
