|
Have you been divorced? If so, then you probably have been stigmatized by the religious society to which you belong. In Muslim countries if a woman is raped SHE (not the man) is considered the bad person. Even her family shuns her. But how different is this from how both the man and the woman are treated in Christian circles if they are divorced, even in cases when the divorce was instigated by the other party who was entirely at fault.
If you are divorced, not only are you a victim in religious circles, but you are put into a category that brands you as damaged goods, a second class Christian or something undesirable. For example, when asked to tell your marital status you are expected to answer that you are "divorced." But "divorced" is an English word that is used to translate a word from another language that means "put away" or "send away," which is not divorce as God defined it (Deut. 24:1,2; Jer. 3:8). "Divorced" is not the correct translation. Yet such passages are used as authority for this stigmatization. The fact is, if you have been divorced you are no longer married. You are "unmarried," which can be interpreted as having become unmarried due to divorce or the death of your spouse. Furthermore, whether divorced or married you are SINGLE, which simply means you are not married. (That divorce ends marriage would not be in question if it were not for the fact that preachers have misunderstood and misapplied the teaching of Jesus. Paul’s teachings are clearly not in harmony with the traditional teachings that results in breaking up marriages and imposing celibacy.)
The cruel treatment of persons who have been divorced needs to become history. You can help make this a reality by sharing the newly revised copy of my book, Put Away But Not Divorced, 290 pages. FREE download, but please note that this is copyrighted material. Share only by linking back to http://www.totalhealth.bz/publications.
NEW for 2020: Study Guide for Put Away But Not Divorced
|
