Does Orthodoxy subscribe to this?

[graphite412]

Simeon from Greece. just a simple, pure soul whose job was helping people cart their stuff from a harbor. the cart was also one he had to push himself. and he is on the list to be glorified and added to the calendar.

I've never heard about this man. Do you have a link?

 

[ArmyMatt]

I've never heard about this man. Do you have a link?

he is on the Mystagogy blog

 

[LizaMarie]

Personally I think a lot of it just gets down to the sad society we live in. If the parish churches told couples they needed to undergo spiritual/marital counseling with their priest for several months first before even considering granting a divorce, many couples would leave the Church and go elsewhere. Yeah, that's sad. But it's true. The Catholic Church is no better though. Even though Catholicism "doesn't have divorce," the marriage tribunals in the U.S. amount to nothing but a committee of rubber-stampers who could care less. Basically everyone gets through it. So on paper the Catholics look tough on the issue, in real life, not so much. I guess Orthodoxy seeks to be more honest in a broken society, but that still offers me little comfort. If this issue is troubling you, though, then I suggest reading a book called "Marriage: An Orthodox Perspective" by one of my favorite priests of the 20th Century--Father Meyendorff. He was my own priest's Confessor Priest at seminary in the early 1980's!!! Father Meyendorff's book "Primacy of Peter" basically cemented my conversion to the East. This book about marriage was excellent as well. It focuses on the practicality of marriage and family and how economia plays into it. Get the book used for $8.00 or check it out at the library somewhere. Great book that might close some gaps for you.

But I will say, staying Catholic won't solve the angst against divorce either.

In the end, except for the practicality of having many Catholic parishes near my home within reasonable range, there was not ONE SINGLE REASON for me to stay Catholic. Divorce was low on my food chain, but I think the Orthodox explanation from Meyendorff helped. In addition, I've learned in my 42 brief years on this Earth that DELIVERY and STATEMENT OF FAITH are two different things. There isn't one parish in the U.S. or on this planet that doesn't have some issue or drama. Trust me.

In my humble opinion, if I had my way all 50 states would ditch no-fault divorce. We should go back to the old fault based system we had before 1970. California was the first state to enact no fault divorce in 1970. My parents divorced a couple of years after, (We lived in Calif) my Dad left and married another -my Mom wanted to save the marriage. It has left scars on my siblings and I to this day, even though we have gotten along great with our Stepmom. I know some will disagree with me, but this is what I believe. Divorce has skyrocketed since then, with all the ills that go along with it. In my opinion, no fault divorce was one of the rotten fruits of the sexual revolution, along with abortion on demand. I agree with you about the spiritual/marital counseling. As you said, this is a very sad society. I can't think of a single person that I know, whose family hasn't been touched by divorce, in some way, a parent, sibling, or child, even if not themselves. Sad.
I'll have to get that Meyendorff book.

 

[~Anastasia~]

I often think that if I had the tools and knowledge then that I have now, I could have saved my first marriage.

I know the second slid into difficulties that were different, but also bad enough that clergy would have supported me in divorcing, yet I (with MUCH help from God!) have managed to stay in this one, and even revive it into something that is very good. Glory to God!

If we put more focus on telling people they could, and that they usually should, save their marriages, and gave them the tools, knowledge, and support to do it (and went into them more carefully in some cases!), I think we could see a very low divorce rate.

Basically, if I could do it, under my circumstances, nearly anyone could!

 

[LizaMarie]

I often think that if I had the tools and knowledge then that I have now, I could have saved my first marriage.

I know the second slid into difficulties that were different, but also bad enough that clergy would have supported me in divorcing, yet I (with MUCH help from God!) have managed to stay in this one, and even revive it into something that is very good. Glory to God!

If we put more focus on telling people they could, and that they usually should, save their marriages, and gave them the tools, knowledge, and support to do it (and went into them more carefully in some cases!), I think we could see a very low divorce rate.

Basically, if I could do it, under my circumstances, nearly anyone could!

I will keep you in my prayers! I'm glad you were able to save the marriage. Is your husband in the Church? I know you have probably mentioned somewhere before but I can't remember.
I don't want to derail Light of the East's thread so I may continue this up in Basil's thread sometime. I agree with giving people the tools as you said.

 

[~Anastasia~]

I will keep you in my prayers! I'm glad you were able to save the marriage. Is your husband in the Church? I know you have probably mentioned somewhere before but I can't remember.
I don't want to derail Light of the East's thread so I may continue this up in Basil's thread sometime. I agree with giving people the tools as you said.

He is not Orthodox, no. Somewhere between Reformed and evangelical Protestant and highly opposed to Orthodoxy, and stopped attending any church himself for years - long before I became Orthodox. He has his struggles, for which I have compassion. Thank you for prayers. Orthodoxy has changed me, and that has changed my marriage. It's not perfect, but it's good. Before it was not really even tolerable.

I regret my past mistakes and shortcomings and failures. But the Church really has so much to offer ... that's what I wanted to underscore.

 

[LizaMarie]

He is not Orthodox, no. Somewhere between Reformed and evangelical Protestant and highly opposed to Orthodoxy, and stopped attending any church himself for years - long before I became Orthodox. He has his struggles, for which I have compassion. Thank you for prayers. Orthodoxy has changed me, and that has changed my marriage. It's not perfect, but it's good. Before it was not really even tolerable.

I regret my past mistakes and shortcomings and failures. But the Church really has so much to offer ... that's what I wanted to underscore.

Marriage is hard work, and God knows our current society does absolutely nothing to help couples at all, it's up to Churches to help Christian couples. I will pray for you!

 

[~Anastasia~]

Marriage is hard work, and God knows our current society does absolutely nothing to help couples at all, it's up to Churches to help Christian couples. I will pray for you!

Thank you!