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Divorce

Divorce image
Parent Issue
Day
1
Month
June
Year
1883
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

This subject is heginning to attract the attention of Ciiristian scholars, statesmen and philnnthropists to an unasual degree, owiug to the fact that the numbcr of diyorceajs gradully increasing. This increase does not come from vvhat we regard as the unenliarhtenod portions of the Christian woild, but seems to belong rather to those parts most advanced ii: oivilization and liberty. Iu New Engïand the proportion of ilivorces to marrïages is as large as in auy part of the world. In Maine and Cennecticut there is one divorce in every leven marriages: and in one county in Maine and one in Michigan since 1881, Lhey have risen to one in every five aiarriagcs. What is the reason of this? And what remedy must be appliéd to check and correct this evil? The cause of the inreased number of divorces is to bo found in the fact, that grounds for divorce ihan the one laid down in the New Testament, have been and are now beiug, frcely allowed by the courts. The Pharisees sy.id to Jesus, "Is it lawful for a man to pu(, away his wife for every cause?" Jeans saúi: "Whosoever shall put away his wife, except for fornication, and sli8.ll marry another, eommitteth adultery; and whosoever inarrieth hor whieh iá put away doth commit adultery " According to this. whiuh was once the civil law in all Christian countries, and is now in Catholic nations. there is but one cause for divorce. that is, adultery. This crime onlv, can oompletely annul the marnnge oovcnaut, and divoice with thn i-ight to marry again should Hot be granted for any otner reason u'hatever. In some States, however, several othcr reasons, amounting ijl some cases to eight or ten, are mado grounds for divorce On this account, divorce is made quite easy to secure, and people are al most invited theroby to procure them. The State of South Carolina for a long time adliered strictly 1ö the scriptural injunction in its laws.aud was trouliled with vcry few divorce suits. Since the war, following the other States, for a time she relaxed her laws in this respect, but the resirt has been so bad, that she has returned to the old laws. This as many jurists and moralists are beginning to see and demand, must be done by the other States, or a fearful liood ot' evil will surely sweep over our iaud. There are vanous rcasons why separations may take plftoe but there is only one reason why divorce can be jrrnnted aceording to the Christian religión. And the law of the Christian religión on this subject must also be made the civil law in all nations that profess Christianity. The marriage covenant is for life.'and all who enter it must be taught so to regard it, and must not be permitted by lax civil laws to break that covenant, to enter upon uuothe'r one at pleasure. And when divorce is granted for the proper reason, the guiltv party should be at once proceeded against by the law and punished for his crime. Let this be done, and many evils will ba prevented.

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Ann Arbor Courier
Old News