what to do about the rampant divorce rate in christianity

[unlost]

Okay, there's nothing intrinsically wrong with wanting to point out something that's obviously a problem, and not burying our heads in the sand is an idea I agree with. So now you've raised your concerns; what do you suggest should happen now?

What do we do? I am going to say, let's make it a ministry to hold people accountable to their vows and empower them (promise keeper techniques maybe) to fulfill their calling of marriage. Also for the victims of divorce there should be professionally staffed counselors to bring them to restoration.

Any other inputs from the group?

[Shell]

Okay, it's a possibility. But how do you suggest going about that? Isn't that something these folks' home churches should be doing? Both parties would have to be willing to do something like this for it to work, too, and that won't always be the case. It does take two for a marriage to work.

[unlost]

yes but i am thinking of soething more organized and on a larger scale

[js3971]

So if someone is not accountable or fails in their marriage, what is done? Do they get killed? Do they get tortured? What's the cost? Jesus has already paid the cost.

I agree people should be accountable about such things. But they should be accountable to the authority they are under in their church and to nobody else.

This whole arguement about Volz's divorce is the most sickening things I've ever read on a Christian message board. I'm almost ashamed to associate myself with those who are demanding that he come accountable for this. This is in the past, and I'm more than sure he and his wife were accountable to the people they needed to be. If not, it's still in the past.

If you think other people should be held accountable, and it be done on a message board like this one, then those who think that need to post every sin they've ever committed, even the worst ones. Those who are demanding accountability in this way, I would be almost willing to bet these people are hiding things they don't want to be accountable for themselves.

[unlost]

i don't know if it needs to be on a message board or somewhere else, but as i said in the other forum, something more needs to be done that what we're doing now!

[executioner]

I think a CCM artist is accountable to his/her listeners. It clearly states that in James 3:1. Anyone using a public forum to talk or teach about the Gospel that Scpriture above applies to them. This includes anyone from a Sunday School teacher to a Bible Study teacher teaching in a private home on some week night, but the message board is NOT the proper place to be talking about someone's past transgressions. This is something that can be handled properly by going to this person via email(most CCM artists have an email that they can be reached through). It's up to you to decide if you feel like you should support their ministry any longer, but also it's up to you to not to spread gossip about an individual if he is right with God with the the issue at hand. There is also another former Petra member that not too long after he quit the band he got a divorce, and he chose to come on another Petra web site and tell his story and also to ask for forgiveness because he felt accountable to the fans. I admire that individual for that aspect. Yes it is a private issue but they are and will be held accountable in my mind.

[gman]

you have to get to the root man. I think the rampant divorce problem in the church is, or can be, a consequence of the real problem which is marraiges that were not built to last. Or, two people getting married that were not prepared to go the distance. We need to get down to building a string foundation at the start of a marraige, and then maintaining that foundation. That is what organizations like Family Life are about. Many churches are doing programs for this on their own level. Sure we can't ignore the divorce rate that is happening now. But, if we put more focus on building good marraiges from the start, we can build future generations that get it right.

Perhaps that's oversimplified, so, as I've said before, flame on!

GMan

[charl]

My take on this:
We all know Christians are rabidly opposing same-sex marriage, claiming it is because they want to support traditional family values. Of course the Gay community and the society at large take that with a grain of salt, because they all know Christians have the highest divorce rates in the country. So much for caring about family values. This reduces our crediblity exponentially, and we probably should think about it.

We are sinful, but we shouldn't use that to excuse our pet sins, thinking it will be easy to get away with it. We of all people, knowing how truly damaging sin is, should take it the most seriously-even though we continue to sin and be sinful.


I have long believed that the reason most people get divorced now as opposed to years ago is simply because they can. Sinners will sin. The thing that curtailled it in years past was not that people were less selfish, but that the society knew how to use that selfishness to keep them together over the rough times. Now with the society not imposing this ideal, selfishness demands 'being happy' which means leaving. I often think of Brave New World here. The happy society was the shallow loveless one, and this seems to be indeed the way we think.

But Christians are to be known by our love. This is a problem that we as a church must address sooner or later.