Divorces and other evils in the world occur because of the absence of ideals from the leaders of nations. [1]
Just so long as society fails to properly educate children and youths, so long as the social order fails to provide adequate premarital training, and so long as unwise and immature youthful idealism is to be the arbiter of the entrance upon marriage, just so long will divorce remain prevalent and will be the safety valve preventing still worse situations. [2] Easy divorce, when the result of lack of self-control or failure of normal personality adjustment, only leads back to crude societal stages. [3]
When modern couples marry with the thought of convenient divorce in the background of their minds if they are not wholly pleased with their married life, they are in reality entering upon a form of trial marriage and one that is far beneath the status of the honest adventures of their less civilized ancestors. [4] Woman’s greater personal freedom and increased economic liberty further complicates the current situation with divorce. [5] The very fact of marriage dissolution itself indicates that Deity is not a conjoining party to such unions. [6]
In the most developed continental nation of a neighboring planet, marriage is only legal after the age of 20 and after passing an instruction in parenting schools. [7] Premarital education would reduce the number of divorce cases. [8]
The inauguration of wife purchase and wife dowry, by introducing a property penalty for marriage failure, did much to lessen separation. [9] Pharisaical interpretations of divorce represented a disgraceful laxity with respect to the best marriage laws of the Jewish code. [10] The woman whom they wanted to stone and whom Jesus saved, named Hildana, left her wicked husband and joined the disciples. [11]
While Jesus refused to make pronouncements dealing with marriage and divorce, he did most bitterly denounce these shameful floutings of the marriage relationship and pointed out their injustice to women and children. He never sanctioned any divorce practice which gave man any advantage over woman. [12]
Jesus repeatedly refused to lay down laws regarding marriage and divorce, but many of Jesus’ early followers had strong opinions on divorce and did not hesitate to attribute them to him. [13]
Jesus taught, concerning the question of divorcement, that, while Moses looked with favor upon it, it was not so in the days of Adam and in the Garden. [14]
See also: UB 83:7.