If marriage is so sacred, why do Christians and others give a pass to marriage defilers–aka adulterous spouses?!
Like God divorcing Israel over repeated adulteries (see Jeremiah 3:8), it makes more sense to me that people who really think marriage is sacred would levy stiff consequences to those who defile it.
So, I do not believe the “never divorce” mindset is simply a matter of holding marriage as sacred.
In fact, I think I hold marriage as more sacred than this crowd: I think divorce is a legitimate response to an adulterous violation of the marriage bed.
I think something sacred ought not to be defiled, and if it is, the person defiling it has demonstrated an unworthiness of the gifts of holy matrimony. The defilement is not just shrugged off when you really believe marriage is holy!
Now, this is not how “sacred marriage” is usually interpreted. Those who claim marriage is “sacred” treat it more as the god that must be kept intact even when that god was defiled by one party.
They treat divorce as a greater defiler of marriage than adultery! It is madness.
I think this is an odd way to pay homage to the idea that marriage is sacred. However, that does not stop people from doing so.
A view of marriage as holy but NOT god treats a defilement of the marriage bed with severe consequences. It does not shrug off such an attack on marriage’s holiness with indifference or excuses.
If marriage is truly holy and sacred, then actions needs to follow this belief.
Someone who makes a mockery of the marital vows of faithfulness is someone who is spinning their muck-filled tires on the institution of marriage. They have demonstrated contempt for the institution.
That contempt ought to be a problem for people who believe marriage is sacred.
Anyone who ignores such contempt by refusing to level consequences on the cheater holding him or her responsible for repentance is NOT someone who really believes marriage is sacred.
They might say they believe marriage is sacred but their lack of action says otherwise.
Thank you! 🙂 Another good and needed post today. I do hope someday that the faithful spouses will be treated with love, compassion, kindness, patience and tenderness by pastors and other Christians (not all treated me this way, but most did –“move on!”, “you need to forgive him now!”, “get over it!”).
I saw a really powerful and convicting to me meme today on Facebook. It said, “If being hurt by the church causes you to lose faith in God, then your faith was in people, not God.”