What if divorce was NOT an option?

[Silent Assassin]

Maybe there wouldn't be as many marriages if divorce weren't a legal option. It might cause people to take marriage more seriously if they knew that death was the only way out.

Wasn't it in the vow that says till death do us apart?

[Darton]

[QUOTE=flashof1979;6836121]Ok think about this...
Other than the biblical idea that it is not the answer. What if it was just not a legal option with very minimal exceptions like life safety. How many failed marriages could have worked if you had no other option? I understand that a lot of people get divorced and consider it the only choice they had due to self justification. I also understand that a lot of bad situations occur in a unhealthy marriage. Just the same if it was not an option to get out of then maybe more people would fully understand the concept before getting married?[/QUOT

Sure, and domestic abuse and homicide would be out of control!

[flashof1979]

I did state that other than life safety reasons.

[tadmaryperry]

I believe that people would actually think the marriage through ahead of time. There would be alot less quick marriages, that's for sure.

[Darton]

I did state that other than life safety reasons.

My apologies, you did. However, you can't put stipulations on it. Either divorce is allowed or its not.

[buckwild17]

Personally the reason I filed & divorced was a valid reason in the scripture of God. It wasn't my first choice , but a choice I'm ok with. Sure it could have worked out , but not without 100% total commitment for both sides . I was in , but that's only 50% !!

[Buckrider]

I think the womens Liberation movement did a lot towards there being more divorces. Before that they just made things work..after it they now just get out if they don't like it.

[TX_Phil]

After 26+ years of marriage I can say that if either my wife or I considered divorce to be an option we would not have made it 1/2 this many years. Before we got married our church required us to meet with sponsor couples to learn how to work things out and to understand the importance of the commitment we were about to make. Before we got married I told her that our vows will include "until death do us part" and I that I believed in every word, no exceptions. She said she did too.

Being in a happy marriage takes a lot of work from both parties, much more work than you would ever expect. There is no such thing as 50/50, its 110/110 percent or you will be miserable. So what's the reward for all that hard work, all of that putting your spouse before you? I don't even have the words to describe it but I will say that knowing your kids have a safe and loving home is worth any amount of work.

[ZackM]

Here's an idea:

How about government not regulating an agreement between consenting adults at all?

I always find it amusing how quickly we accept government intervention into our lives in some areas, but fight to the death to keep government out of other things...

As for the OP - I think that you are over-simplifying the problem. I see what you are getting at, people will tend to take the path of least resistance. And unfortunately divorce is oftentimes that path. However, there are too many different circumstances for a blanket solution like that.

[rossivey]

I believe that people would actually think the marriage through ahead of time. There would be alot less quick marriages, that's for sure.

Bingo! My wife and I were together 4-1/2yrs before we got married. Best decision we ever made. We grew up while we dated and turned out we still loved each other when time came to tie the knot.

[flashof1979]

After 26+ years of marriage I can say that if either my wife or I considered divorce to be an option we would not have made it 1/2 this many years. Before we got married our church required us to meet with sponsor couples to learn how to work things out and to understand the importance of the commitment we were about to make. Before we got married I told her that our vows will include "until death do us part" and I that I believed in every word, no exceptions. She said she did too.

Being in a happy marriage takes a lot of work from both parties, much more work than you would ever expect. There is no such thing as 50/50, its 110/110 percent or you will be miserable. So what's the reward for all that hard work, all of that putting your spouse before you? I don't even have the words to describe it but I will say that knowing your kids have a safe and loving home is worth any amount of work.

Very well said. I agree we did the same.

[flashof1979]

My apologies, you did. However, you can't put stipulations on it. Either divorce is allowed or its not.

Biblically there is that option.

[Winman]

After 26+ years of marriage I can say that if either my wife or I considered divorce to be an option we would not have made it 1/2 this many years. Before we got married our church required us to meet with sponsor couples to learn how to work things out and to understand the importance of the commitment we were about to make. Before we got married I told her that our vows will include "until death do us part" and I that I believed in every word, no exceptions. She said she did too.

Being in a happy marriage takes a lot of work from both parties, much more work than you would ever expect. There is no such thing as 50/50, its 110/110 percent or you will be miserable. So what's the reward for all that hard work, all of that putting your spouse before you? I don't even have the words to describe it but I will say that knowing your kids have a safe and loving home is worth any amount of work.

My wife and I will celebrate 50 married years[ to each other]this year. as stated above we went thru a long period of counceling prior to our commitment to each other.. and agreed {it was for the long haul] before we said I do ,and I will....there were a few times that I wished we had an escape clause in those vows ,but we worked thru them and have been happy...

[flashof1979]

One of the most common things we hear today is this or something like this
" I was committed, but my spouse was not". Seems too easy of an answer to me to be so common? Committed is "till death do you part". Seems like those that say "committed" sometimes mean "unless your not".

[Landrover]

Murder rate would have a new category!!!