I come from a less substantial background from many Americans, so maybe my view is skewed. So I’m going over again (as if I ever finished!) John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, and he dives in to Matthew 19:3-8 and Mark 10:2-9. After reading those passages, I remembered a conversation between a small group member and I about whether a prenuptial agreement is ok or not. I guess he has to worry about it since he has money and doesn’t want to get thr shaft if his soon to be wife cheats on him.
What John Paul II (and what he wants Jesus to say) is that God had a better plan for us in the beginning, and that since sin has come we have backlases and repercussions from sin and its affects. Beyond it, though, is an idea and a way of life that may go beyond what The Law says into what God wants. Jesus is quoted as saying that He wants no one to take apart what God has sown together, and that it is because of our hard headed ways that we cannot live with another.
To get back to the prenup thing, from a financial aspect it is sound to get a prenup, where you can basically say anything you want in it. We are told to be as gentle as doves and as wise as serpents, but I don’t think The Father wants us to separate from one another!
In the beginning, The Godhead were in perfect community. He made us to be in perfect community, where a mother, father, and child(ren) were not to break. But that all changed when sin came into play. Now brothers and sisters fight, parents abusing their children and each other, and even the Godhead was torn apart. The last was so not by the power of sin as it wreaks havoc in our lives, but to bring us and Him together. Death was defeated, and the power of sin was loosened. The Godhead became whole and is made perfect once more. Shouldn’t we do likewise?
I like how there’s ambiguity in the following lines of Matthew and Mark: one tells us that He says unless infidelity occurs the divorced who remarry commit adultery, while the other omits it. It’s almost as if even God can understand the pain of losing someone to another and wants to be totally cut off from the infractor, yet at the same time wants nothing more than to be rejoined with the offender. There’s that struggle between being holy and getting into our mess. And because of our “hardened hearts,” He does not mandate saying that those who betray we must leave, for many times He wanted to leave us. Thanks be to God that He has never caved into His righteous anger and forsaken us!
it is a tough issue. I’m not completely sure of what I think of it either. ur post though, talks mostly about marriage and divorce, not about an actual prenuptial agreement.
One thing im pretty sure of though is getting a prenup is not getting a divorce. Its financial protection in case of a divorce. Professional athletes are all highly recommended to have prenups be cause of the kinds of women they will attract in their profession. It’s to keep your finances responsibilities (charities, foundations, other obligations) separate from their hearts, and probably penises.
Getting a prenup is obviously a difficult subject to broach because it’s basically assuming that there is a possibility that one might get divorced. This is where I can see an issue may be. Is thinking and planning for a possible outcome of divorce against God’s wishes (or, “alright,” since i’m assuming you mean from a Christian standpoint)? This is the main question I think that i assumed your post would be about after reading your post title.
thoughtful post, thanks for the read, let me know what u think.
Comment by Poon — May 13, 2011 @ 6:13 pm |
I would have to agree with you to some point about what it is that I’m trying to get at. I also don’t get into too much detail on the actual term “prenup”, and it’s probably because I assumed most people know what I’m talking about (not that I now assume you don’t). I Also think a distinction must be made between thinking about a prenup and planning for a prenup, but most importantly too is enacting a prenup.
What concerns me is that we even have to think about protecting ourselves in case of a divorce. I didn’t talk much on the prenup part also because the heart of the issue really does lie in divorce. Would a prenup be ok if it only concerns infidelity? For me, not necessarily what I feel most or all Christians ought to do, is that this is wrong. I can’t even fathom thinking about how to keep my finances in order in lieu of a divorce, which the prenup would help in dealing with this problem, but even moreso with the problem of divorce. God saw my infidelity against Him, broke His perfect community to reach me, and then allowed me into His kingdom, and I take that thought and try wrestling with the notion of a prenup? Maybe I aint gonna get lots of money, and so a prenup would be useless. To me, it’s an exercise in futility, but I’m not sure it’s a financial reason.
Comment by fourwordinstigate — May 14, 2011 @ 12:51 am |