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The Divorce Evil

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Apr 17, 1913

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 90, No. 16.

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The Divorce Evil

ONE of the great problems before the people of this country at the present time, in both its religious and civil phases, is the divorce problem. Perhaps there is no one tendency which shows so greatly the laxity of the moral tone as the rapidly increasing number of divorces that are granted annually. Destroying as it does so many homes, and affecting in such a large degree the social and civil life of the people, the question is one proper for consideration by the state, and the moral phase of the question should appeal more forcibly to the Christian church. Speaking of this, the New York American says:—
To what extent the divorce evil is encroaching on our national life is shown by the report of the Illinois commission appointed to secure evidence on that subject.
The figures it submits are staggering. Within the last half-century divorce has increased on an average of more than three and one-third times as fast as the population. In the past year it is estimated that 100,000 divorces were granted; it is within moderation to say that in the last fifty years 2,000,000 homes have been wrecked, and that nearly a million and a half of children under the age of ten were deprived of one or both parents.
Compare the figures for 1900 in twenty European countries, in addition to Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, with a total population of 267,000,000 as against our population at that time of 76,000,000. The divorces granted in the twenty-three countries were 27,000. The divorces granted in this country were 50,000. The rate here was seven times that of Europe.
The commission believes a remedy can be found only by a revision of our marriage laws. “We can never hope,” says its report, “to eradicate the evil of the divorce court until we safeguard the morals and health of the community by just, sane, and adequate marriage laws.”
The teaching of the Scriptures permits divorce on one ground only, the violation of the seventh commandment. The church of Christ should consistently hold to this standard. It can not justly fellowship those who obtain divorce for the thousand and one reasons permitted by the civil court. The integrity of the home should be safeguarded, and the church should exalt the standard and seek to quicken the consciences of its members with reference to this important question.