Allen Dvorak
04/23/09
"Do you promise to love and cherish her in sickness and in health and provide for her in prosperity and in adversity, to be faithful to her, and forsaking all others cleave unto her and to her alone until death do you part?" Years ago I responded to those words with "I do," and thereby verbally committed myself to my bride for the rest of my life. Most wedding ceremonies still employ similar language as bride and groom pledge themselves to each other.
The Alabama Senate is currently considering a bill which will introduce a second type of marriage contract referred to as "covenant marriage." The March 6th edition of The Huntsville Times carried an article in which this bill was described as "an attempt to encourage husbands and wives to work through their marriage difficulties rather than rush to divorce court when friction arises" (Rep. Ken Guin, D-Carbon Hill; page B1). This new type of marriage contract, which can be chosen as an option by couples planning to marry, would require premarital counseling and counseling before a divorce would be granted. It would also stipulate a 2-year waiting period before a couple could get a divorce. The article observed that such provisions are intended to cause spouses to view marriage as a long-term relationship which cannot be easily exited.
I applaud the concern of lawmakers for the longevity of individual marriages in our country and I also believe that couples SHOULD try to work through their marriage difficulties. However, it seems to me that making it more difficult to obtain a divorce is not the best solution to rampant divorce although it may be the only one available to legislators. I concur with the opinion that spouses need to view marriage as a life-long commitment. Is there a better way that we can encourage such an attitude in those who are entering marriage and in those already married?
We need to remember that it was God who instituted marriage in the beginning and He claims the right to regulate it. God has always intended that marriage be a life-long relationship. Jesus’ response to the Pharisees’ question about divorce was that God joined man and woman in the beginning (marriage) and that man should not separate them (Matthew 19:3-6). ALL marriages, entered with divine approval, are "covenant" relationships. In Malachi’s day, God rebuked the man who broke his covenant with his wife by divorcing her to marry someone else (Malachi 2:14-16).
The pending bill in the Senate may introduce additional process before a divorce can be obtained, but the real answer is for all of us to adopt the proper attitude toward marriage, to respect what the Bible says about the permanence of marriage. When we pledge "unto death do us part" to our mates in the presence of God, we are covenanting. God takes no pleasure in rash or broken vows (Ecclesiastes 5:2-5).