by the late Gardner S. Hall
The Permanence of Marriage - (continued)
I am thinking of a young lady we will call May (not her real name). I well remember how happy and cheerful she was before she was married. However, I also remember that six months after her marriage she was very unhappy; she was then a miserable woman. In less than a year her marriage terminated in divorce. I remember that before her marriage she attended where I preached; she was a faithful attendant. After her divorce she would not even visit the church; because she was so humiliated and embarrassed. Her mother-in-law told me frankly: "May is a good, sweet girl; my boy is to blame for the failure."
But if May had listened to my sermons and those preached by others there, she would not have married the boy who broke her heart. But she was not the only one there who made the same mistake and nearly wrecked their lives. Some of the boys did too. However, some of them realized the seriousness of their vows and stayed with their companion; but they suffered, and no doubt wished they had given more serious consideration to the lessons they heard. Some did listen, were more careful and now are happily married.
Young people who read this article and hear warnings from the pulpit, how much serious thought will you give to them? We hope you will give much prayerful thought to your choice of a companion. But even though some do not, we must warn you; we must deliver our own souls. (Acts 20:26, 27).
We tend to relax our vigilance concerning sins that become very prevalent. And the sin of divorce is one of them. You are probably familiar with Alexander Pope’s verse: "Vice is a monster of such frightful main, As to be hated, needs but to be seen; But seen too oft, familiar with her face; We first endure, then pity, then embrace." Again I say, divorce belongs in that category. Divorce has increased 300% during the past fifty years. In 1889 there were 7 divorces per 100 marriages. In 1932 there were 16 per 100 marriages. In 1972 the number of divorces per 100 marriages reached 32. In some areas the number is 50 per now 100 marriages. Divorce and remarriage is very prevalent among entertainers, even among some who are considered a little more decent. Many famous athletes have divorced and remarried; likewise many who are prominent in government. There was a time – in fact, fifteen or twenty years ago – when a divorced and remarried man could hardly be elected to a high government office. This was discussed as a definite handicap to being elected to the Senate or the office of President of the United States. But it is not a handicap any more. This shows the unfortunate change of attitude of the people of our nation. It is simply more of the permissive attitude toward all kinds of immorality and sin. Pray earnestly that this situation might not brainwash you and make divorce and remarriage respectable in your eyes.
Once again we quote the words of Jesus:
"And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and he that marrieth her when she is put away committeth adultery." Did you observe that there is just one cause for a divorce and remarriage? Jesus’ rule does not include incompatibility, drunkenness, mental cruelty, meddling in-laws, bad temper or any of the other grounds upon which many obtain divorces. He gives only one ground – fornication, or unchastity, as some versions render it.So we cannot afford to enter the marriage relationship lightly, as we might buy a car or refrigerator, with the thought: "If we don’t get along, there are plenty more; I’ll divorce him and get a better one." If you go in with that attitude, you will be less forbearing and may not even live together until you go through a period of adjustment, which is often necessary. I know a Sister who has lived with an alcoholic about twenty years. Her life is miserable but she said, "I went into it intending to stick to him and that is what I plan to do." This is exactly as it should be.
[EDITOR’S NOTE: I highly commend the article above from the pen of the late Gardner S. Hall. This article appeared in THE BULLETIN of the West Madison Street church of Christ in December of 1976, Volume 1, Number 3. Please read it in light of the scriptures cited and follow God’s teaching on this vital subject! Lord willing, there will be more articles written by this writer in issues to come!]