Research: Marriage and Divorce in Christianity through out the years

Marriage and Divorce in Christianity through out the years

"...For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate." ~ Matthew 19: 5-6

Marriage as a holy sacrament and a reflection of the relationship of Jesus Christ and the Church, in parallel to the Old Testament’s teaching of the relationship between God and Israel’s people. However marriage and divorce principles differ from sect to another.

In Eastern Orthodox teachings, marriage is considered a sacrament. Additionally, it is viewed as an ordination, in which each spouse symbolically dies for the sake of the other and, in so doing, confirms and sanctifies the relationship.

In Roman Catholic teachings, marriage is the expression of the underlying purpose for man and woman. It is the basis for reproduction and the symbolic term of the union of Christ and the Catholic Church. It also provides common support to the married couple and provides legitimacy for sexual relations between them. Traditionally, the marriage is considered a contract between a man and a woman, consummated and respected, where each takes control of the other's body, and sexual congress is expected and welcomed. The couple is expected to give birth and to educate their children and raise them according to the Catholic teachings. Any birth control is considered against the sanctity of marriage. Before, Catholics were enforced to marry Catholics as well. Now, it is accepted to have married a non Catholic person as long as both of them truly love each other. Unlike Western Christianity, Eastern Christians believe that the marriage is conferred by the action of the Holy Spirit acting through the priest. Furthermore, no one besides a bishop may perform the Sacred Mystery. The valid marriage in baptized Christians is one of the seven Catholic Sacraments.

Protestant denominations vary in their particular individual doctrines regarding marriage, but have in common some fundamental beliefs. Most Protestant supposes marriage to be a union of a man and a woman, ordained by God, with the primary purpose being the celebration of God's love for the world. Common to the Catholic perspective, marriage is also the vehicle for raising children and providing mutual help and support to each other. Divorce is acceptable, if at all, only in very specific conditions (for example, sexual immorality or abandonment by the non-believer)

Evangelical Protestant Christians take a biblical and literal view towards marriage. Considered a covenant between the couple and God, marriage is also a profound expression of the teachings of the Apostle Paul in his Letter to the Ephesians.

"And submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ" ~ Ephesians 5:21

The woman, who has submitted to the man in loving respect to him as the head of the family, sees herself as a follower in this family with the man heading his family as Christ heads the Church.

Divorce, is ending the relationship between married couple, for not be able to continue with each other. However, divorce is very hard in Egypt, and the majority of the cases are not accepted by church.

"But I say that a man, who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery." (NLT)

Although the verse refers to women, however in Christianity both men and women are equal according to the bible. So the verse applies equally for men and women. Another important point to tackle is that divorce in court is not recognized as divorce in the eyes of God. Thus second marriage is considered to be adultery, which is forbidden in both Coptic and Catholic churches. However, the church considers some situations for example; one partner is committing adultery physically.

Concerning divorce 1 Corinthians 10-11 says: "Now, for those who are married I have a command that comes not from me, but from the Lord. A wife must not leave her husband. But if she does leave him, let her remain single or else go back to him. And the husband must not leave his wife." (NLT)

Abuses can be regarded as non-Christian act, where the church can order divorce. But in all cases, remarriage is not allowed in this religion, for that marriage considers one man and one woman only.

Despite all of the exceptional made, the Catholic Church does not allow divorce by any means. Separation is only accepted were the couple stay in different apartments. While the Protestant allows divorce. That’s why many Christians change their sects belonging to protestant in order to gain divorce.

Lately, the Egyptian Islamic court asked non-Muslims to allow second marriage. The Coptic Church refused the new law for it conflicts with the true Christian beliefs. Thus re-marriage after divorce is considered a sin.

The end of a controversial scholar

The end of a controversial scholar



Egyptian scholar and thinker Nasr Hamed Abou Zeid, passed away in Sheikh Zayed hospital last Monday. After being diagnosed with an unknown disease, Zeid returned back to Egypt and went through a coma right before his death.

Born in 1943, Abou Zeid was unable to continue high school education due to economical problems. He gained technical school diploma instead, and later worked as a technician for the Egyptian Telecommunication Authority. During this period, he finished high school degree and enrolled in Cairo University, where he earned BA in Arabic Studies, MA and PHD in Islamic Studies.

Abou Zeid became a controversial scholar and dealt with very sensitive Islamic issues. In addition he wrote some books The Philosophy of Hermeneutics, Critique of Islamic Discourse, Text, Authority, and the Truth, Women in the Discourse of Crisis, Thus Spoke Ibn 'Arabi, and others.

His progressive ideas led some to accuse him of apostasy. He was excilled from Egypt in 1995 and settled in Netherlands were he worked as a professor of Islamic Studies in University of Leiden. Further more, he was ordered to divorce his wife Ibtihal Younis, a professor of French Literature at Cairo University, based on Islamic law that a Muslim woman cannot marry an apostate. The verdict was based on hisba, a doctrine that entitles any Muslim to take legal action against anyone or anything he considers to be harmful to Islam. At that time, the case drew the media’s attention about the controversial topic, which was considered against freedom of expression according to the human rights defenders.

Since then, Ibtihal Younes has been to Egypt a number of times since the separation order, primarily to discuss MA and PhD theses at the French Department at Cairo University. Abu Zeid has not been to Egypt since 1995, despite requests to attend seminars and conferences.

Last December Abu Zeid was banned from entering Kuwait to give two lectures about religious reform and women’s position in Islam. He was sent back to Cairo despite obtaining a valid visa.

Abu Zeid is an award-winning scholar. Alongside working in Egypt and Holland, he was a visiting professor at Osaka University in Japan between 1985 and 1989. He also received a fellowship from the Center for Middle East Studies at Pennsylvania State University in the United States of America between 1978 and 1980.

He will be buried later on Monday in his home village of Kahafa in the Nile Delta.