And this is exactly the problem I speak of elsewhere.
The RCC cannot give any couple any guarantees that they are “without a doubt” not married in the eyes of God.
Annulments, by definition, are fallible and subject to human error. They are ultimately merely guesses that state the couple may or may not be married in the eyes of God. This has been seen of late in a high profile marriage and annulment.
So instead of offering the couple a guarantee "without a doubt," annulments do just the opposite: they bring to light that the decision can be erroneous and faulty and thus lead the couple to pursue adulterous affairs. This also may place the RCC in a position of complicity in the violation of a holy covenant.
This is unacceptable if we as Christians are to stand firm for marriage.
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You whole line of reasoning is off. And you are showing a lack of knowledge about this sacrament. Not your fault I guess, but the fault of the ideology you carry and propogate.
First of all, the RCC never gives any guarentee that they are married in the eyes of God. Marriage is the only sacrament in the One True Faith that is between the two participants and God.
The priest officiates, but the promise is made between the applicants and God. It is God who sanctifies and blesses the Marriage Sacrament.
But prior to this, there are strict rules the applicants must follow before the One True Faith will allow them the Marriage Sacrament. There are approximately seven meetings that need to be attended before one can be married in the Catholic church.
And this is all done to minimize any error in giving this important Sacrament. For instance, the applicants have to go over a series of questions with thier priest or deacon and have to swear to the truthfulness of thier answers. Some of the questions include, do you intend to be faithful to this marriage, do you plan to have children, do you plan to raise them Catholic, do you intend on being faithful to your spouse for the rest of your life, etc. (I have paraphrased these. Do not take them literally!)
Should there be a failure to uphold these agreed too questions, then there might be a case for annulment. But even then, its no guarentee, as you assume.
There is also psychological testing done in an effort to guage applicant compatibility. And this is highly effective. It brings up issues that the applicants may not have addressed or may not be addressing for what ever reasons. But when confronted with it and with a mediator, then both applicants are going into the marriage with a better knowledge of thier intended spouse. In a sense, all things are brought to the light.
Secondly, you give a civil definiton of annulment. And you assume that an annulment is an easy thing to obtain. That all a person need to do is request it and it happens.
That’s hardly the case. On average, its a two year process. And this is generally because and in-depth investigation into why the marriage failed is required. An annulment has to meet strict criteria before the church will grant approval if at all. Even in a civil annulment, to which you are really referring, annulments are only granted in strict circumstances but without an investigation.
But more disturbing is your idea that the One True Faith is somehow leading its flock astray or into adulterous relationships by granting annulments. That is just not the case. And I think its malicious of you to even say something like this. Thats just rude and disrespectful.
I will agree with you that there is no guarentee. But that is between the applicant/spouses and God. Its not the fault of the One True Faith who takes every possible step in preparing its people for this most Holy of Sacraments. Remember, we are all sinners and imperfect. If we weren’t then Jesus came for no reason.
When I re-read you post to formulate my answer, I can’t help but be reminded of a verse said by Jesus to Peter. I think its appropriate and applicable to you given your logic.
"“Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” Mat. 16:23
One more thing. Please explain to me how a Protestant can give a “guarentee without a doubt” without running afoul of being a mediator for the couple before God.
In my understanding of Protestantism, no man may come between God and himself. In other words, no man may mediate otherwise he is playing God.
