Is abuse a Biblical reason for divorce?

Elleoj

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HannahT ,, thanks for the very good post.
From an emotionally and verbally abused wife, I struggled with this. But never thought it was ok to divorce because the church only taught divorce for adultery. My pastor never even talked about abuse in marriage. Just the passage "Husbands, do not be harsh with your wives." But no discussion as to what the wife should do when she is in that position. So I stayed in a very very damaging marriage for 9 years until I prayed to God specifically to free me from him. 2 weeks later, he told me he decided to divorce me. I now see differently. God says, "I hate divorce." He also says, "I hate a man clothing himself with violence." I don't necessarily see divorce as a sin; I see it as a result of sin. Never, never stay with an abusive man. Leave the first time it happens, and don't look back.
 
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Elleoj

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Each one must come to their own conviction based on their own study of Scripture. Here are some thoughts...Jesus said that Moses granted divorce because of the hardness of their hearts. A lot of times from the pulpit this is used to keep a woman in a destructive marriage. She has to forgive, etc or she is hard hearted. But what if we look at this with fresh eyes. Research shows that abuse follows a cycle of violence and remorse (notice I didn't say repentance). The violence increases and the remorse and "honeymoon" phases shrink. Each cycle serves to further harden his heart. A man who abuses his wife is demonstrating a hard heart, and God granted divorce for her protection as well as to possibly bring him to repentance. Also what about in Malachi where it says God hates divorce. It is not directed at women who are divorcing abusive men, but at men who are "dealing treacherously" with their wives.

One final thought. Although God hates divorce, He loves people. Jesus honored women in a culture that held a low opinion of them. He died for each woman who is now or ever has been in an abusive marriage. He said he came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. What in everything we know of the teaching of Scripture other than one understanding of one verse, says that Christ expects a woman to stay and be abused rather than get a divorce? The only verse in Scripture that can be interpreted to exclude abuse as "Biblical grounds" is Matthew 5 and there are different views of what that means. Was he talking about legal divorce? Some commentators say that He was commenting on the practice of "putting away" without the writ of divorce. In any case, I think sometimes marriage is made into an idol.
 
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Rajni

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Is abuse a Biblical reason for divorce?
Of course.
I would consider any book that encouraged staying in an
abusive relationship highly suspect.
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Boaz308

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If I slapped my child, it would be considered abuse and my child would be removed. If you slapped a cop, it would be considered assault and you would be arrested. If a spouse is slapped every day for 20 years, it might not leave a scar, but it sure is considered abuse and is against the law. I don't care if it's one small slap or if it's a near-death beating - it is not acceptable and absolutely is just cause for divorce, even biblically. I would not even use the "slave" verse cited in your post as justification because women are not slaves.

Harming your spouse is just cause for divorce. It is not the abused person who breaks that marriage covenant; it is the one who abuses because it violates their vow before God and man that they will love and honour their spouse. Hitting is not loving or honouring. Period. The abuser is the one who will stand before God to account for the broken marriage.

Lot's of people like to think that their personal situation somehow changes what the bible says, but it does not. You of course will claim that I am condoning abuse, I am not. I think that anyone who is in an abusive relationship can certainly separate and even divorce if they want to. The problem becomes when they then want to remarry. That is adultery, the believing wife that departs is to remain celibate or be restored to her husband. Corinthians 7: 10.

Of course there are no rules for the unbeliever since they are condemned already. So Corinthians 7:15 releases the Believing spouse from the bondage of the broken covenant by the unbelieving spouse that has departed to live in adultery. This is what the bible says, and quite frankly it doesn't matter how any body "Feels" about it.
 
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Boaz308

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I am constantly amazed at the number of people that just blatantly don't believe the bible "AT ALL" and consider themselves Christians. News Flash, if it's not all true, then the bible condemns itself as being all false. So it can only be one or the other.
 
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Rajni

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I am constantly amazed at the number of people that just blatantly don't believe the bible "AT ALL" and consider themselves Christians. News Flash, if it's not all true, then the bible condemns itself as being all false. So it can only be one or the other.
What does the subject of people who don’t believe the bible “at all” have to do with this thread? Seems like a huge leap, not to mention a total derail.


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I am working on a divorce from my previous mate who was abusive in all ways, towards me and my children.
I was told by other Christians, using Biblical examples, that safety is important for me and the children and if she was not going to get help, I had to do what i could to protect everyone, including her.
Not seen her in a year. No idea where she is, nor do I have the money. And, I am afraid she is planning something to cause me more pain knowing I can not file (hence the lack of funds and her not giving up the address).

EDIT:
Oh, this was last updated months ago. I saw it in top of list but did not realize the date.
 
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ThisIsMe123

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I don't believe domestic violence is grounds for divorce and remarriage.

Really? Every Christian woman I've ever known divorced for this very reason. How many can you count that actually stuck around in such a marriage? She'd be a fool if she did.
 
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