J
jesajam
Guest
Is it morally permissible for me to divorce my husband for physical abuse? We were not married in the church, he is not Catholic. I have endured verbal, emotional, mental and physical abuse for years. Last week he chased me through our house, held me and our daughter captive and then eventually pushed me hard enough to send me flying through the air, crashing on my back and spine onto our hard tile floor, the neighbors called the police and I ended up in the hospital with a compression fracture of the spine (not a serious injury), a concussion and lots of bruises. I could have been seriously injured, paralyzed, brain damage, even dead. Apparently that incident “woke” him up to that fact that he has anger managment issues, amongst other things. He has moved into his parents house and enrolled in recovery programs through his Baptist church. He wants me to give him time to change before I decide on divorce. I can forgive, but I cant forget. I dont know how I can ever feel safe with him again, how I will ever be able to bring up any sensitive discussions without being afraid he will snap again. Our marriage has been a nightmare from the beginning, I want out now. But I am concerned about my moral obligation to this marriage, especially now that he is seeking help. He says that God doesn’t want us to divorce, and that the “world” will tell us that is what is right, but that with faith in God we can overcome this. I say God doesn’t want me to end up a paralyzed vegetable. Can I divorce him without causing a grave sin?