Do any authorities have anything to say about "criminality" as grounds for divorce in addition to "adultery," alluded to in the New Testament?
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A (Christian) acquaintance of mine offered the opinion that the two valid grounds for divorce are adultery and criminality.
Matthew 5:32 says, "Everyone who divorces their spouse, except on grounds of adultery, makes them an adulteress/er." Apparently divorce is permitted for adultery.
Adultery is self explanatory. "Criminality" would probably refer to a felony such as robbery, assault, or murder. (Rape would also be a form adultery.) Maybe certain "nonviolent" crimes such as embezzlement, drug use, or even "shoplifting."
Are there any Christian denominations, doctrines, or faith traditions that would make a similar provision for criminality? Could there even be a "work around" whereby criminality is considered more serious than adultery, so making an adulteress/er by divorcing a spouse is less serious than the spouse's criminal behavior? (I don't know this acquaintance well enough to ask where he was coming from.)
Asked by Tom Au
(1144 rep)
Jan 19, 2020, 09:53 PM
Last activity: May 5, 2020, 12:09 PM
Last activity: May 5, 2020, 12:09 PM