In Reply to: Re: Some funneling posted by Farmer on February 10, 2010 at 19:22:05:
Farmer:
I've spent the better part of a day reviewing all the divorce & remarriage verses I know of, with commentaries, etc.
I agree with your point of view, for the most part, if I am indeed interpreting it properly. I am NOT for "putting away" for just ANY reason, but I AM for divorce for those involved in the uninterrupted process that INEVITABLY begins with any of several types of abandoning the spouse, and then leads to estrangement and sexual sin against the spouse, AND consequently divorce, all in one fell swoop, if you will. A person, or persons involved in that process can interrupt it and repent, at any time; it is hoped.
I believe THAT IS what Christ meant to convey--otherwise His answers to those who asked would have been much more cut-and-dried, and totally unambiguous. He DOES hate "putting away", and the pain it can cause.
How DOES one counsel an all-at-once, or even a serial, bigamist, otherwise? TF's FULL of them!!!
It's a tough question, and not so uncommon for people leaving the cult. It really IS heartbreaking, and a viciously entangled web of confusion; very painful for adults AND kids involved; especially those involved in incest in any way.
I say you DO go with the very first "wife"; either by common law, TF "mating", by justice of the peace (both my marriages), chapel wedding with all the trimmings, etc, or whatever.
All others you SHOULD help, and all one's children SHOULD be financially supported, like it or not. Fathers AND mothers should be responsible.
But sex , after reconciliation, and remarriage to the first wife/husband, should be exclusive to her/him, and the relationship with all others should change completely, and immediately, to please God. Otherwise God is NOT pleased, according to His Word.
That's my take, so far.
For MYself--I'm still very pained from my divorces, my estrangement from my son, and so on. It erally does hurt. My big "spree" was a mixture of sheer sexual conquest, and then a lot of pain and loneliness, and then brokenness and then repentance; finally, thank God! All of those were while sstill married to my first wife, but bitterly hating her parents, who truly did try to destroy both me and our marriage.
The one lady at church I was ionterested in for a while was a missionary to Belize; living on insurance money from her dead husband, who had been a philanderer who subsequently divorced her, claining to have found a "soul mate" in a hyper-pentecostal church. That made her exceptionally weary/leery of me, I found. Also, a couple of false friends/gossips, told her I was Bipolar, and made me souind like a crazed stalker, or something--too bad. I really just wanted a friend--I don't have many.
Let's just pray we'll both just "go with the flow" of God's sovereign will and leading of our free wills! :-)
GBY, too, brother!
OT2