Wednesday, October 30, 2002

An addendum to Hatcher's column
on second marriages

The Rev. Hatcher in the Oct. 23 edition shared how much he likes to preside over second and third marriages to remind the bride and groom of God's forgiveness and His desire for their happiness.

While forgiveness and the unconditional love of God are perhaps the most important concepts in Christianity, I fear the Rev. Hatcher is being a little too one-sided.

Jesus Christ Himself, on several occasions, corrected the Jews on the issue of divorce. They had been accustomed to obtaining divorces quite easily. But Christ told them that this did not accord with the true nature of marriage. Instead, He asserted that anyone who divorces except in cases of "unchastity" and marries another commits adultery. He went on to say that divorce had been permitted by Moses only because of the "hardness of [their] hearts." Christ's arrival signaled a change in the old law and a fulfillment of the original intention of marriage as an indissoluble bond between husband and wife.

So, while it is true that Jesus may wish happiness and grant forgiveness for those who go through the pain of divorce, I'm sure He would prefer that no divorce occurred at all.

When one thinks of the damage divorce has wrought upon society, children and the husband and wife, it's hard to argue with His logic. While I would not deny the importance of forgiveness and "moving on," I would also assert the holiness and importance of marriage as the joining of two into "one flesh," which "no man" should separate.

Trey Hoffman

Sharpsburg