Divorce and Remarriage

Question 1

What are Christian teachings on divorce?

Answer 1

1. “what God has joined together let no one separate.”
2. “anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
3. “you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
4. “A wife must not separate from her husband.”
5. “a husband must not divorce his wife.”

Question 2

What is the Catholic attitude to divorce and remarriage?

Answer 2

1. Does not allow religious divorce or remarriage, but does allow legal separation if they find it impossible to live together.
2. Allows annulment.
3. Jesus taught that divorce was wrong.
4. Couple made a covenant that cannot be broken by any earthly power.
5. Catechism cannot be dissolved and so religious divorce is impossible.

Question 3

Atheist and Humanist attitudes:

Answer 3

1. All married couples should have the right to divorce if they feel the marriage has failed.
2. Spouses should be treated equally in financial arrangements.
3. Divorced people have the right to remarry if they so wish.

Question 4

Attitudes of non-Catholic Christians:

Answer 4

1. Jesus allowed divorce for a partner’s adultery.
2. They must choose the ‘lesser of two evils’, if a marriage has broken down not divorcing would be a greater evil.
3. This belief in forgiveness should apply to divorce and remarriage as much as anything.

Question 5

What is situational ethics?

Answer 5

It was devised by American Christian Joseph Fletcher. It means that the rules of the Bible can be altered by a situation.

Question 6

How would people apply situational ethics to divorce and remarriage? Advantages

Answer 6

Advantages:
1. Removes conflict so it brigs domestic peace and emotional security.
2. It gives opportunities for the spouses to gain personal fulfilment as they are not being forced to be in a relationship.
3. It ends children’s exposure to damaging parental conflict.

Question 7

How would people apply situational ethics to divorce and remarriage?
Disadvantages

Answer 7

1. It is expensive (legal costs, selling the family home and it is costlier to live separately).
2. It can hurt children as they are forced to choose between parents.
3. It can cause stress as it forces new relationships and living arrangements.
4. Hurts family relatives as they can often lose contact with the children if their relation is not awarded custody