What is fornication?

[PathofThyself]

I was at a friend's house today and an interesting discussion came up. My friend is getting divorced. Her husband is an alcholic, a drug addict, and mentally abusive to her. His ex wife came over to my friend's house today (bringing her stepson) and was saying that divorce is never acceptable to the Lord.

If brought up that it does state in the bible that it is acceptable due to fornication. She proceeded to tell me that that passage is not referring to sex at all. She said it was referring to the hardening of the heart against God. So that the only grounds for divorce is if your spouse turns away from God.

Now, this was a new concept to me. I had never heard fornication used in that way, so I looked it up and found:


Main Entry: for·ni·ca·tion
Pronunciation: "for-n&-'kA-sh&n
Function: noun
Etymology: Late Latin fornicatio, from fornicare to have intercourse with prostitutes, from Latin fornic- fornix arch, vault, brothel
: consensual sexual intercourse between a man and esp. single woman who are not married to each other; also : the crime of engaging in fornication —compare Adultry

NOTE: Where still considered a crime, fornication is classified as a misdemeanor.

And then found this:

fornication

in every form of it was sternly condemned by the Mosaic law (Lev. 21:9; 19:29;
Deut. 22:20, 21, 23-29; 23:18; Ex. 22:16). But this word is
more frequently used in a symbolical than in its ordinary sense. It frequently
means a forsaking of God or a following after idols (Isa. 1:2; Jer. 2:20; Ezek.
16; Hos. 1:2; 2:1-5; Jer. 3:8,9).

So which is right? Divorce is ok if your spouse has an affair, or is it if they turn from God.

This is a bit of a tough question. The reason being, if your spouse is cheating... isn't that a sign they have turned from God to at least some degree? Doesn't saying it is ok if they turn from God give people too much leeway?

I'd appreciate other people's opinions on this matter.

Thank you
Selena

 

[transientlife]

Gee, well for one thing I'd tell the exwife to mind her own business.
Second of all, I would think that being an alcoholic is a sense turning from God because you are dependent upon a substance and it's the priority in your life, you know? Same goes for the drugs.
Thirdly, he's mentally abusive. If I'm not mistaken, the Bible commands a husband to love his wife and honor her. Not much honor can come of abuse.

And if those three factors don't comprise turning from God, she still needs to divorce the scumbag anyway. But that's just my opinion - from the gospel of transient

 

[fragmentsofdreams]

The Hebrews did sometimes use the concepts of fornication and adultery to refer to the worship of other Gods.

 

[El Taco]

Maybe he just needs help with his problems. There's always counseling. AA is good for alcoholics, and you must keep in mind that many drugs are perfectly innocent. I drink coffee every day, and it's innocent. If he dabbles in the ganjia, I woudn't consider that drug abuse at all, being harmless and all. Remember, God forgives.

 

[seebs]

The best resource on this is a careful study of the Greek word used... But of course, even that was a translation of whatever Jesus actually said. Furthermore, given that the Mark version of the story doesn't have the exception for fornication, some people believe that this exception was added on by a later writer to make the message more appealing to people.

I think it is very clear that fornication is sexual. Exactly what it is is, frankly, unclear; the word in Greek which got translated to "fornication" has changed in meaning over time, and we don't know exactly how it was understood at the time it was written.

 

[rainbowprism]

His ex-wife (?!) was telling you divorce was wrong? The Bible mentions adultery as justification (not a reason) for divorce, fornication is just sex.

 

[cygnusx1]

His ex-wife (?!) was telling you divorce was wrong? The Bible mentions adultery as justification (not a reason) for divorce, fornication is just sex.

The Bible never says "adultery as justification (not a reason) for divorce"

It isn't. The punishment for adultery is death, never divorce.

If you want to know what Jesus claus is for 'divorce' read about his mother Mary and Joseph, that is what is meant by fornication.

 

[rainbowprism]

The Bible never says "adultery as justification (not a reason) for divorce"

It isn't. The punishment for adultery is death, never divorce.

If you want to know what Jesus claus is for 'divorce' read about his mother Mary and Joseph, that is what is meant by fornication.

Read your bible a little more....it most certainly puts adultery as an exception.