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Question 366

My question to you this morning is God says you can only divorce through sexual immorality now does that mean even fantasizing about another women and also if a man beats his wife does our church accept that she should stay with him because hes not committing any sexual immorality towards her         

   

 

Answer to Question 366

 

I will leave out the fantasizing, because even though Christ said that if you look at another women with desire in your heart is it as though you have committed adultery, but I don't think it is reason for a divorce. The Lord made clear to the Jews the true significance of marriage. Referring to the Scriptures regarding the union between man and woman, the Lord reinforced the principle of indissoluble marriage in definite terms: “Wherefore they (man and woman) are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”

 

 When the Sadducees questioned Christ saying: “Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? He said unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.” (Matthew 19:3-9).

 

In other words, a person entering marriage is required to remain in it. The breaking of marital fidelity is disobeying God's will and, therefore, a grievous sin. The New Testament and especially the Epistles of St. Paul give the true teaching on what marriage should be and the recipe for a strong and happy marriage. Divorce then according to Christ’s very own words should only be acceptable if infidelity is the cause of the marriage breakdown. But the Church accepts to dissolve a marriage for other reasons as well especially when violence is involved and life is in danger, or when the couple has lost all respect for each other that verbal abuse is the only communication in the household. In cases such as these the church feels that divorce is the better of two evils.