p. 9 | Influence of the Divorce Evil by F. M. W.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 5, 1914

Influence of the Divorce Evil

By F. M. W.

Of the widespread influence of the divorce evil but few have an adequate conception. The last few years have witnessed a wonderful increase in the number of divorced persons. Especially is this true in the United States, where the statistics are out of all proportion to the figures representing similar conditions in the Old World. February 4 Senator Joseph Ransdell of Louisiana delivered a striking speech in the United States Senate in favor of a Constitutional amendment for the prohibition of the divorce evil. Of its rapid increase he spoke as follows, as reported in the Washington Times of that date:—

Practically every one who has given the subject the slightest study admits that divorce is one of the most serious problems confronting our republic.

In the United States, divorce is spreading with alarming rapidity. It has permeated every walk of life, and is prevalent among every class of people. The total number of divorces granted in 1867 was 9,937, or 27 per 100,000 population. Forty years later, in 1906, there were 72,662 divorces, or 86 per 100,000; thus in actual numbers there were more than seven times as many divorces granted in 1906 as in 1867, or, allowing for the increased population, divorce had increased 319 per cent. To put it in another way, in 1867 there was one divorce for every 3,666 persons, while in 1906 there was one for every 1,162.

To make a most striking comparison, during 1901 the total number of divorces granted in the United States was more than twice as great as in all the rest of Christendom combined; yes, actually more than two times as many divorces among 75,000,000 Americans that year as among the 400,000,000 souls of Europe and other Christian countries.

England stands in bold contrast with this country. In 1911 she granted a total of only 655 divorces, or 1½ per 100,000, while in 1906 the United States allowed 72,062 divorces, or 86 per 100,000. During the twenty years ending with 1906 Ireland had only nineteen divorces, or an average of less than one absolute divorce per year for her entire population of 4,500,000.

There is danger that common association with evil will lessen in our minds its sinfulness and deadly influence. That this is the effect of the divorce evil upon the present generation is the opinion of a New York social commission, which quotes the head of a prominent girls' school as saying:—

I have heard it said, and our experience confirms the fact, that the children of divorced parents are more likely than others to regard divorce as a normal part of the scheme of life. A generation has already grown up among whom divorce and remarriage has been a fairly common practice ever since they can remember anything. Church people and church educators have before them the problem of creating a new conscience in this matter in the rising generation.

Quoting this report, the Northwestern Christian Advocate of December 3 truly says:—

In this brief observation a most distressing situation is pointed out. When society reaches that stage of acquiescence in an evil environment as to commonly consider it normal, woe be to society. It was not always thus. Time was, and that within the memory of the writer, when a divorcee was looked upon as a social menace, and regarded as either wicked or very unfortunate. The one sustaining that unnatural relation was regarded as a pariah, and his name whispered with awe. But today conditions have changed; divorces have so multiplied, and mingle so freely and acceptably in all the walks of life, that one makes reference to the subject with apprehension, lest one in the company take personal offense. It has come to the point that ministers question prospective grooms with trepidation, lest it be discovered that one of the contracting parties has been a subject of divorce proceedings; indeed, ministers have occasionally been known voluntarily to remain in ignorance on this phase of investigation.

Of course all this has its deadening effect on the public conscience. It is with evil as with good—a little leaven can leaven the whole lump; and a careless acquiescence in an incipient social reversion will sooner or later bear fruit in a positive and general contamination.

The Scriptures of Truth recognize but one ground for divorce; namely, the violation of the seventh commandment by one of the parties to the marriage relationship. The laws of the land have come to recognize many reasons. Cruelty, desertion, lack of support, drunkenness, ungovernable temper, incompatibility, and scores of trivial causes are enumerated as the basis of divorce suits in our courts of law. We cannot believe that God regards this question any differently today than he did when Christ instructed his church concerning it. It is safe to conclude that the great majority of divorces which are recognized by our courts of law are not recognized by the court of heaven.

F. M. W.