Concepts of Divorce

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Concepts of Divorce

Is marriage no more than the result of voluntary agreements between two private individuals? Is the lack of detail concerning marriage arrangements causing all the divorce debates? Does divorce cause problems or solve them? Why is marriage such a religious experience and divorce such a legal experience? Why do marriages take place under the eyes of God while divorces take place under the eyes of the law?

I believe that it was because of my parents' divorce that I have chosen to tackle such a controversial topic. In many ways, I am in search of my own opinion. My parents divorced through the no-fault system. My dad decided it was time to move on to another life I guess. The no-fault divorce is a form of divorce granted without blame being sought or established. Sometimes, I try to think of how my life would have turned out if they were still together. I wonder if life would be any better. However, there are other days when I thank God for putting me through such troubling times; without them, I wouldn't be where I am today.

What troubles me with marriage/divorce issues is that one is dealt with while the other lies on the floor. Today, we discuss marriage, and we discuss divorce, but never both at the same time. Should we push premarital counseling, or should we make divorce harder? Why must we discuss one or the other and not both?

There are so many questions concerning marriage and divorce, and that is why I'm writing to you. I hope to answer some questions you may have. Though you may not form an opinion about no-fault divorce, you should finish this article with a little satisfaction, knowing that you've seen both sides of the issue.

There are many people who have spoken out...

... middle of paper ...

...out such topics when she says, "All this should be a very simple matter; God knows, it's been going on long enough. So why have we fallen into such a state of confusion?"

Bibliography:

Dalman, and Susan Ager. "Abolish No-Fault Divorce?" Divorce Online. 14 February 1996

Decter, Midge. "The Madness of the American Family" Policy Review. September-October 1998

Gallagher, Maggie. "Why Make Divorce Easy?" Current Issues and Enduring Questions. Sylvan Barnet and Hugo Bedau. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's Publishing, 1999. 17-18

Tyson, Ann Scott. "States Put Minor Speed Bumps in Divorce Path: No-Fault Backlash" 10 September 1996 (http:/www.rmfc.org/newsitem.html)

Whitehead, Barbara Dafoe. "The Making of a Divorce Culture" The Aims of Argument. Timothy W. Crusius and Carolyn E. Channell. California: Mayfield Publishing Company. 2000. 484-491

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