The Divorce Ban
Just read this interesting link on a referendum that is going to be put on the ballot in California. At first, I didn't think it was for real--maybe a spoof of some sort. But, they are dead serious. Someone is trying to enforce a "Divorce Ban." Following Proposition 8 in California, John Marcotte seems to believe that the next step in protecting "traditional marriages" (which, I presume he is referring to a monogamous relationship between one man and one woman) is to also enforce its permanence.
How do I feel about the Divorce Ban? Divorce isn't God's best, but even He made concessions for it, knowing our sinful, hardened hearts.
The referendum's author, John Marcotte also writes an article entitled "Jesus Still Loves You if You Get a Divorce - Just not as Much as Before" on his website (rescuemarriage.org) and quotes Scripture illustrating how one should never divorce. The logic is divorce is a sin, God hates sin, God loves you less because of sin. But there are so many sins that we commit, does that really mean God does not love us as much as before? Of course not!
Take a cursory look at the Bible and you will come across a God who is relentless in His pursuit to call His creation back to Himself. People like Richard Dawkins love to quote the Old Testament to show how jealous, insecure, and tyrannical God is, but the real tyranny is not to understand the holiness of God and the lengths in which He would go to make it very clear to us the horrendous nature of human sin and the need for salvation.
Yes, let's encourage people to develop healthy marriages or help those considering marriage to prepare themselves for the chaos that ensues when two sinful people come together--there's bound to be some trouble there. But, it's not beyond God. Just as the Prohibition didn't work, neither will this ban. Why?
Because the issue is not so much marriage or alcohol, but people. People need grace, not laws. Laws only point us to the need for grace. Grace comes in relationship, and search all of religion and you won't find one unless you look to Jesus Christ.
