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Christianity

Customs and Rituals

What do Christians believe about divorce and remarriage?

Whether or not the witnessing community regards matrimony as a sacrament, Christian groups universally teach that marriage is a permanent commitment. Unfortunately, there is often a large gap between ideals and realities. However common it has become in some societies, most Christian communities consider divorce a solution of last resort. Many churches train their ministers and priests in marriage and family counseling so that they can assist their members when they find their relationships threatened for whatever reason. In the hope of obviating the eventual need for divorce, some churches recommend or even require premarital counseling and education, designed to impress on the couple the nature of the commitment they envision. Some churches do not recognize divorce as a religiously acceptable choice, teaching that marriage is an indissoluble bond. But those churches also acknowledge that in some cases the parties in a marriage may not have made the commitment with sufficient maturity, proper intent, or full consent. In those instances the marriage can be annulled, allowing both parties to seek legal divorce and remarry if they choose.



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