Are “saved” marriages better than “heathen” marriages?NO!!!
A few weeks ago, a Pentecostal preacher I love divorced her fourth husband. Apparently, the man she divorced is a senior pastor who was also in his fourth marriage. This trend is increasing among born-again Pentecostals outside mainstream churches.
My born-again parents are separated, and so are many born-again couples we schooled together. According to Family Law (2017), at 1%, India has the lowest divorce rate in the world. By extension, Hindu religion has the lowest divorce rate in the world, followed by Islam at 20%. Divorce rate among protestant Christians is 37% and 36% among Catholics.
I crosschecked various statistics that all indicate Christianity has the highest divorce rate in the world. Statistically speaking, being saved does not increase one’s success in marriage. Let’s discuss this subject respectfully and without getting emotional.
I’m asking us to stop hypocrisy – we refuse to support one of our own when they decide to get married to a partner who’s not born again without any scriptural reference just to ask them to come back to church later “as they are.” In essence, what we fight is their wedding – we have no issue with their marriage. Some even argue that Jews could not marry Gentiles. False! Ruth was from Moab. Rahab was from Jericho. Both of them in the direct lineage of the Messiah. Moses asked Jewish men to marry Gentile wives (Deut 21:10-14). Strange enough, God even asked Prophet Hosea to marry a prostitute (Hosea 1:2-3).
I’m born again. I understand your struggle in this matter. I’m not trying to encourage brothers and sisters to go looking for soul-mates outside church. I’m only asking us to stop condemning those who, for whatever reason, get a life-partner who’s not born again. There’s no scripture barring them from getting married – it’s just a church tradition. Paul’s warning in 2 Corinthians 6:14, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers,” had nothing to do with marriage. Read the context. It was a warning against idolatry.
Some Christians in Corinth participated in sacrifices made to Belial, a Greek god.
DR. K. N. JACOB
