My Apologies to the Divorced

I have overcome a large obstacle today as far as my stigma about divorce. Okay, more like I ran into the obstacle face first, busted up a few bones and needed the Word to minister to me, pick me up and throw me over the obstacle.

All this time I've looked at re-marriages as second hand marriages only avaiable for sub-blessings and possibly some cursings, but definitely not full blessings. Things that no sincere God fearing person would enter into. (Wow! When I type it out it even sounds worse. Now where did I hide my 'Delete' button?) I thumbed my nose and wrinkled my brow at family and friends for partaking in what I thought was basically a sin that couldn't be removed.

One of my favorite theologians takes a pretty strong stance on the topic by concluding that re-marriage is only an option when widowhood presents itself and at all other times and circumstances the vows of the original marriage are permanent. On some initial scripture reading this seems academically sound. But what about the whole compass of scripture in application? For example: What if a young woman marries, has several children, and is physically abused? What do you think God desires for her... that she tough it out with some prayer, or divorce/seperate with all her kids with no work skills and trying to manage everything on her own? Do we put such limits on grace in such a situation that she is not allowed a kinsman-redeemer of sorts?
Looking at it another way; if we applied this rule of no re-marriage except for widows to the church at large, what would it look like? A lot more single parents and children with no father figure. How does this make the Church a better witness to the world?

Yes, God hates divorce. He hates vows made before Him that become broke. There are serious consequences with exiting these vows and so marriage and divorce are not to be seen as capricious. I see nothing good coming from the practice of jumping from one spouse to the next as if it was dating.

However, when severe situations arise I think if I'm to err it will be on the side of grace from now on rather than my old pharisaical position of thinking, "Ha, you blew it. No second chances for you!"

I take this position on my own interpretation of scripture in good conscious because I've found no real consensus on the matter from the theologians and councils I have read from. It seems the positions on the matter have altered over the centuries as the environment of church and society have changed. So for today's environment I believe my assessment to be sound.