A
Andreas_Hofer
Guest
Even if we take away the sacramental aspect, divorce is bad from a purely rational perspective because it hampers the ends of marriage.
The primary end of marriage is the procreation and education of children. Any scientist (hard or social) with a shred of honesty can tell you about the deleterious effects of divorce upon the upbringing of children. The financial hardships are obvious, the emotional hardships endure even if some new parent is introduced to the situation. Bottom line, divorce threatens the multifaceted stability needed to properly raise children.
On the secondary end of the amicable community of spouses, the possibility of divorce both removes incentives to reconcilation as well as introduces a means of manipulation by spouses who threaten divorce unless their demands are met. This leaves women especially vulnerable since they are typically the partners less capable of financial survival on their own after a divorce (whether with or without the children).
Still, with that said about divorce failing even the test of natural law, St. Robert Bellarmine contends that, considered solely in natural terms of its ends, those ends could be pursued better were the bond to be soluble - think of someone who finds themselves married to an evil, no-talent jerk (of either sex). A different spouse would better equip that individual to raise his/her children and live in peaceful community (not to mention mutual sanctification). Does St. Robert believe, then, that marriage is soluble? No. Rather, he takes this as proof that marriage is a sacrament, because God can only have made it insoluble so as to use it to point to a higher reality (the marriage of Christ and His Church).
The primary end of marriage is the procreation and education of children. Any scientist (hard or social) with a shred of honesty can tell you about the deleterious effects of divorce upon the upbringing of children. The financial hardships are obvious, the emotional hardships endure even if some new parent is introduced to the situation. Bottom line, divorce threatens the multifaceted stability needed to properly raise children.
On the secondary end of the amicable community of spouses, the possibility of divorce both removes incentives to reconcilation as well as introduces a means of manipulation by spouses who threaten divorce unless their demands are met. This leaves women especially vulnerable since they are typically the partners less capable of financial survival on their own after a divorce (whether with or without the children).
Still, with that said about divorce failing even the test of natural law, St. Robert Bellarmine contends that, considered solely in natural terms of its ends, those ends could be pursued better were the bond to be soluble - think of someone who finds themselves married to an evil, no-talent jerk (of either sex). A different spouse would better equip that individual to raise his/her children and live in peaceful community (not to mention mutual sanctification). Does St. Robert believe, then, that marriage is soluble? No. Rather, he takes this as proof that marriage is a sacrament, because God can only have made it insoluble so as to use it to point to a higher reality (the marriage of Christ and His Church).
great points. well said.