Protestants, how is divorce and remarriage not adultery?

[Karin]

Alright, I don’t have much more to add to this discussion, except this question:

My mother was previously married before she married my father. She divorced the man, because he verbally/emotionally abused her. Then she married my dad. They had me and my sister. In the eyes of the Church would we be illegitimate children?

I know that sounds rather radical in a sense, but it seems to be the case. Perhaps a better phrase would be “product of adultry.”

Any help would be appreciated.

In Pax Christi
Andrew

I would think speaking with your priest would clarify that question for you.

 

[dsulpizio]

To Steadfast:

When Luther broke from Rome, he role-modelled how to set yourself up as the authority, which will ultimately leads to what we have now…chaos. Eveyone deciding for themselves how the Bible is to be interpretted, what truth is, etc…our familes suffer first, and then society follows.

Luther putting issues of family/marriage in the hands of civil magistrates did much to effect a widescale decline in morals…not just for individuals, but within institutions. We now have ‘christian’ churches that allow easy divorce, remarriage, contraception (which is the door to abortion, promiscuity, etc.), same-sex unions, etc. We have churches and institutions that officially support this stuff.

The high rate of this type of behavior in Catholic countries is a result of Catholics who are ‘acting protestant’, where the authority lies with themselves, not the Church.

 

[fix]

IMy point is that a paradigm shift may be in order because the belief that a valid marriage is indissoluble might be mistaken. It is unquestioned that the Church has the authority to bind and loose. So why would God refuse to honor that authority only in the case of marital dissolution? I am not suggesting that the Church should invent any authority. God forbid!!! I am suggesting that the Church may already have that authority, but has not yet recognized it.

How can a sacrament be dissolved? Can baptism be dissolved? Or confirmation? Either the sacrament was valid at the time it was administered or it was not.

The Church cannot dissolve a sacramental marriage. Some types of non sacramental marriages can be dissolved, but that is a separate issue.

 

[wcknight]

All very good points and very well stated, but it’s hardly fair to blame it all on Luther. Divorce existed before Luther came along and whether you like to admit it or not, at least at one time for people who could afford it, anullments were the ecclesiastical equivalent.

Unless you want to blame the secularization rampant in the “post-modern” West on him as well.

But then, you’d have to explain why it’s just as rampant in “Catholic Countries”.

But then, I have just remembered that I am on a bbs where everything from the breakdown of the nuclear family to islamofascism are his fault.

They are his fault or at least protestants faults, or the devil’s fault,anyone’s but our own… after all, we Catholics are saints or soon to be saints at least we think we are… or some of us think we are,…

Divorce is far too easy and certainly not as God wants it. AT least Catholic teaching says it’s wrong, and folks tend not to give up so easily. Protestant teaching sanctions it so it is much more prevalent or easily obtainable. How Protestants reconcile Jesus’s teaching that anyone that breaks their marital vows does so “at their own peril” is a mystery.

Taking any interpretation of that statement clearly shows that Jesus was dead set against divorce. Unless of course your KJV somehow distorts that passage to make it okay. But anything is possible if you leave out a few words or chapters or change a few phrases.

 

[Kay_Cee]

Alright, I don’t have much more to add to this discussion, except this question:

My mother was previously married before she married my father. She divorced the man, because he verbally/emotionally abused her. Then she married my dad. They had me and my sister. In the eyes of the Church would we be illegitimate children?

No.

First of all, you don’t know if the first wedding was valid. There may have been impediments–it depends on the circumstances.

But let’s say for the sake of argument that the first marriage was valid. You still would not be considered illegitimate. The legitimacy of children is an issue that falls under *civil law, *not *canon law. *The Church looks at you through the eyes of canon law.

I know that sounds rather radical in a sense, but it seems to be the case. Perhaps a better phrase would be “product of adultry.”

A better phrase would be “product of God.” You were created by God in His own image and likeness.

Any help would be appreciated.

You’re welcome!

 

[Steadfast]

To Steadfast:

When Luther broke from Rome, he role-modelled how to set yourself up as the authority, which will ultimately leads to what we have now…chaos. Eveyone deciding for themselves how the Bible is to be interpretted, what truth is, etc…our familes suffer first, and then society follows.

Luther putting issues of family/marriage in the hands of civil magistrates did much to effect a widescale decline in morals…not just for individuals, but within institutions. We now have ‘christian’ churches that allow easy divorce, remarriage, contraception (which is the door to abortion, promiscuity, etc.), same-sex unions, etc. We have churches and institutions that officially support this stuff.

The high rate of this type of behavior in Catholic countries is a result of Catholics who are ‘acting protestant’, where the authority lies with themselves, not the Church.

Wonderful! Roman Triumphalism at its very finest!

Do you mind if I store that on my computer to share with others as an example of “typical Catholic blindness”?

 

[Steadfast]

They are his fault or at least protestants faults, or the devil’s fault,anyone’s but our own… after all, we Catholics are saints or soon to be saints at least we think we are… or some of us think we are,…

Um, okay.

Divorce is far too easy and certainly not as God wants it. AT least Catholic teaching says it’s wrong, and folks tend not to give up so easily. Protestant teaching sanctions it so it is much more prevalent or easily obtainable. How Protestants reconcile Jesus’s teaching that anyone that breaks their marital vows does so “at their own peril” is a mystery.

Do you really think “Protestant teaching” says Divorce is okay?

Taking any interpretation of that statement clearly shows that Jesus was dead set against divorce. Unless of course your KJV somehow distorts that passage to make it okay. But anything is possible if you leave out a few words or chapters or change a few phrases.

Right, we agree, divorce is bad and God hates it.

As for the last part here though, who has distorted the passages pertaining to marriage and divorce and/or “left out a few words or chapters or changed a few phrases”?

 

[fix]

Wonderful! Roman Triumphalism at its very finest!

Do you mind if I store that on my computer to share with others as an example of “typical Catholic blindness”?

I do not think that is triumphalistic at all. It simply describes the state of western culture which is the embrace of moral relativism.

 

[Steadfast]

I do not think that is triumphalistic at all. It simply describes the state of western culture which is the embrace of moral relativism.

And “moral relativism” is a natural and necessary byproduct of the Reformation?

Have you guys ever heard of the Renaissance? It preceded the Reformaiton and the egg of modernism was laid there and hatched in the bosom of the sunny south, darlings.

 

[fix]

And “moral relativism” is a natural and necessary byproduct of the Reformation?

Have you guys ever heard of the Renaissance? It preceded the Reformaiton and the egg of modernism was laid there, darlings.

I am not saying the genesis of moral relativism is to be found strictly in the Protestant revolt. I am saying that believing we each are the final authority over the Church is moral relativism.

 

[Veritas41]

Alright, I don’t have much more to add to this discussion, except this question:

My mother was previously married before she married my father. She divorced the man, because he verbally/emotionally abused her. Then she married my dad. They had me and my sister. In the eyes of the Church would we be illegitimate children?

I know that sounds rather radical in a sense, but it seems to be the case. Perhaps a better phrase would be “product of adultry.”

Any help would be appreciated.

In Pax Christi
Andrew

Andrew, I asked a priest about this issue when I was investigating the Catholic faith, and I’ve since read in Catholic publications that the Church would not consider you and your sister “illegitimate.”