A modern day "putting away"?

[Yitzchak]

There was an article in the local newspaper here about the Terri Schavio story. They pointed out in the article the fact that even though technically still marryed to his wife , that Terri's husband is in a common law marriage with another woman. It said that they are even raising a child together.

So in other words, Terri's husband refused to divorce her even though he took another "wife" and now he is making the decision about whether Terri lives or dies.....

I couldn't help but be reminded of some of the discussions on here about the scripture passages which speak of putting away a wife. So I am inclined to think of this situation as the worst kind of putting away. If he no longer wanted to be Terri's wife because she is ill , then why not divorce??

 

[Svt4Him]

I would have thought money, but if he was so motivated by money, why did he turn down $1,000,000 to have someone else take care of her?

 

[bliz]

So that he could honor her wishes about not being kept alive by artificial means. It seems to me that that has been very necessary.

In court testimony the Schindlers, in 2000, testified that even if Terri woke up and asked them to let her die, that they would not do so. (They also said thet they believed she was in a PVS.) One of them volunteered that is she had gangrene and needed to have her limbs all amputated, they would still keep her alive. Her parents have seen fit to have video taken of her, of someone pulling up her nightgown to show us where her feeding tube was inserted. Who would do such things to someone they loved?

I'm am not defending Michael's affair with another woman. I do not think, however, that it is a matter of no loner wanting to be Terri's husband, but being unable to be her husband becasue of her mental and physical limitations.

 

[heartnsoul]

There was an article in the local newspaper here about the Terri Schavio story. They pointed out in the article the fact that even though technically still marryed to his wife , that Terri's husband is in a common law marriage with another woman. It said that they are even raising a child together.

So in other words, Terri's husband refused to divorce her even though he took another "wife" and now he is making the decision about whether Terri lives or dies.....

I couldn't help but be reminded of some of the discussions on here about the scripture passages which speak of putting away a wife. So I am inclined to think of this situation as the worst kind of putting away. If he no longer wanted to be Terri's wife because she is ill , then why not divorce??

That's a very good question Yitzchak. I have wondered the same thing. If the news you read is true, I think it's outrageous that he would remain married to Terri and then commit adultery with another woman. And now they are raising a child together? May God's justice prevail and may Terri and her parents/siblings be comforted through all of this grief.

 

[babyangel]

This is my same feelings exactly. Isnt this the kind of cruel putting away the bible is talking about. Not divorcing someone but putting them away without divorce. When I read Mathew, Mark and Luke the restrictions in the scriptures make sense when you look at putting away not being the same as a divorce. And then 1 Corinthians etc went it talks about being loosened from a wife you are not sinning by remarrying. I can not help but feel that unjustly putting away and a legal binding divorce are not the same and that is what God was trying to protect the women from in the OT and Jesus was just reafirming that in the NT. I may be way off base, but it just makes all the scriputres flow rather than contradicting each other and making everything so confusing.

 

[babyangel]

So that he could honor her wishes about not being kept alive by artificial means. It seems to me that that has been very necessary.

In court testimony the Schindlers, in 2000, testified that even if Terri woke up and asked them to let her die, that they would not do so. (They also said thet they believed she was in a PVS.) One of them volunteered that is she had gangrene and needed to have her limbs all amputated, they would still keep her alive. Her parents have seen fit to have video taken of her, of someone pulling up her nightgown to show us where her feeding tube was inserted. Who would do such things to someone they loved?

I'm am not defending Michael's affair with another woman. I do not think, however, that it is a matter of no loner wanting to be Terri's husband, but being unable to be her husband becasue of her mental and physical limitations.

I think that he is doing a good thing by honoring her wishes. But he should not be in any kind of a relationship. And yes it would be better for him to divorce her, it would free him anyways. But this is the part in the vows where for better or worse comes into play. I can not see how someone could have taken their vows so seriously when they are shacked up with someone else when their spouse is laying on their death bed. If I had a good husband and he was dying I would be by his side for better or worse. This is when she needs him the most and he is not there. He may not be able to be her husband because of her limitations, but I would be devistated if my husband did that to me. I can also see it bringing up may questions regarding his decsion to honor her wishes, is that really the reason or is he just trying to speed up the process. Can we ever really know for sure?

 

[Yitzchak]

I think that the issue of putting away goes both ways in our time. Meaning it is not just the man anymore but there are women who put their husabnd's away as well.

I have posted on here before that my ex committed adultery and left me to live with another man. But one issue I thought about since then is what if my ex would not have wanted to give me a divorce? I have met people whose spouse left them and refused to divorce them even though they no longer wanted to live with them as their spouse. It can take literally years to push through a divorce in some States. In the meantime, the abandoned partner is unable to remarry. In many cases , such as with my ex, her shacking up with her boyfriend did not offend her conscience. So she had nothing to gain from divorcing me since she had no intention of marrying this man.

I think putting away refers to abandonment for any reason , not just because of adultery. It traps the ex in a technical marriage but for all practical purposes the person is single.

 

[babyangel]

I just wanted to add a website address that may interest some. It is totalhealth.bz I have been in contact with 2 of the preachers associated with it, and one of them has been very helpful to me, and encouraged me to contact my local preacher and take it from there, which is what I have been doing.