Pat Robertson, TV star of the "700 Club" and evangelical Christian, says its okay to divorce your spouse if they are diagnosed with Alzheimer's. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/17/us/pat-robertson-remarks-on-alzheimers-stir-passions.html
Robertson is utterly wrong as he is so often! What ever happened to "in sickness and in health"? He has long been an embaressment to faithful Christians and this proves it again. I am appalled!
Eh, I think it is an interesting theological discussion OHp, if there is no taking and giving in marriage in the here after, but man and wife are one flesh (among other things found on I Cor 7), what is the proper principle? And is a "civil" marriage the same as one sanctioned by a Congregation? Do note I chose the word Congregation carefully.
I am having issues with a new computer and a new call in ministry so I am slow getting back to the forums. Sorry for the delay in answering My answer and the anger inherant in it arises mostly from the witness to the larger non-faith community. If we Christians refuse to live by the rules we set up for ourselves, then...... You ask a different question and a good one. Honestly, when I hear the phrase "a Biblical view of marriage" I chuckle. There was multiple marriage, levirate marriage, polygamy and all kinds of other "non-standard" practices throughout the Biblical witness. It seems that what most of the scriptural mandates regarding marriage are indeed talking about would be to call folks to acting faithfully in their witness to others. Husband of one wife for a bishop for example seems to leave open polygamy for others. My comment centered on the vows that are a standard piece of most Christian weddings, a vow before God of fidelty and selflessness on behalf of the other. "Agape" love which Corinthians, Ephesians, and othe places call us to is all about sacrifice for the other party. In his advice Robertson allowed the caller's friend to put himself ahead of the other party and that to me is wrong headed and what I objected to so strenously.
Well OhioP, to me the Church Based Institution of marriage is getting mixed with the civil procedure of marriage, that is one of the reasons for the rhetorical questions, there are conditions that allow for a divorce, even in the New Testament, but the idea of a "marriage license" in my view would have been shunned in the early Church and among the Congregations that made up the Church. I have something of a dim view of what "marriage" has come to mean, and I think Biblically speaking Robertson is not the guy I'd turn to for advice as I can see very little Christian Theology, or even philosophy in his approaches to issues and dispensing of advice. For example on his shows rarely is the Bible mentioned, and when it is, only in a one verse manner with little bother with attempting to expound upon what the single verse even means, on any level. Why bother? That sort of sums up Roberston for me at least.
