The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1904-12-24
REV. BENTZIEA ON DIVORCE
THE EVIL is GROWING FAST


church. on the Seventh Command.
ment. bis sermon being one OF a
series on the Ten Commandments.
He spoke In part as follows:
This commandment IL often
violated BY the legal process Of di-
voree. Delieately, yet clearly and
positively, Christ teaches that mar
rlage may be dissolved for the crime
Of adultery and for no other offense.
Thea the innocent party may marry
again, but not the one who il guilty.
On the contrary, the guilty one
should receire the severe penalty Of
the Law. Not the marriage altar for
a second wedding, bat the states
prison, IL the plaee for tbs adulterer.
sin the light Of the words Of Christ
II IL evident that we need not go 10
utah or southern idaho 10 iind Nor.
mons, Theoretical and practical.
Loose notions concerning divorce
and Ee-maFTiage are painfully prev
alent. The marriage bond Is be.
coming q mere rope Of sand. Divorces
are Increasing more than twice al fast
as our population. This evil IL
spreading like a contagious disease
ia come 81 our states that have
divorce laws, the iaxity Of which Is
notorious. Several of Cur states
hare = record Of one divorce for ten
marriages; 10 Ohio the ratio Is one
10 eight; In California one to seven;
Denver, for one year, one 60 four;
Los Angeles county, Cal, last year,
one 70 three, or 32i6 marriages and
1850 divorces Twenty three cases
weFe brought before our county court
al RathdFum = few weeks ago.
Nowhere Il the problem Of di-
vorce 30 poorly solved or 20 full Of
danger fer the future as in our
country. Nearly one-hRlf million
divorces 10 the United States ia
twenty Eve years. A million men
and women involved, and over a
million innocent children made 70
snfferi There are thirty times as
many divorces in our country, la
proportion to population. as IN
England. Scotland and ireland. This
IL our national dlshonor. We are Ia
disgrace before the nations, II IL
not that our people are more degraded
or more unhappy in their home life
than the people Of England and other
countries Of Europe, but the fault
lies largely In our laws Our legis-
lators are IN q large measure 20
blame for making divorce easy in
stead Of bringing our laws relating to
this matter up 30 the standard OF the
Bible. We have In this country, s6
sets Of laws on divorce, no two alike,
In as many different states. Alto
gethcr there are a. different grounds
given for absolute divorce instead of
the one ground mentioned In. the
teachings % Christ ln this way
human law ts brought into direct
conflict with the Law Of God.
Many divorces are granted on the
most trivial complaints. Virtually
in many cases the marriage bond Is
dissolved for no better reason than
that the union lie an unhappy one and
the contracting parties wish 10 be
released from IL. In contrast to the
teaching Of the Bible, that marriage
ls divine institution, there are
many people, including the legis-
lators OF some Of our states, who re-
gard IL as only 4 civil contract TO be
annulled whenever both parties may
desire. A writer Of national repupta.
tion has recently made the suggestion
that marriage be contracted only for
ten years at q time, then to be N.
newed or dissolved. The fact that
such a dlabolical suggestion could be-
made and serlously considered by
many intelligent people Is an indica-
tion Of a drift out from the teaching
OF the Scriptures, into the moral
denominations Of the heather.
''If, after marriage, they discover
that on account Of lncompatabiIity Of
temperament, or for any other reason
so often given, life In the same home
IL utterly unbearahle, let them, II
they choose, place the whole dia.
meter OF the earth between them. But
they are still husband and wife by
the Law OF God, and what God hath
Joined together let no Judge, state or
nation presume to put asunder.
This Is not my own opinion, nor
my own personal attempt at a solu.
tion Of this difficulty aud perploxing
problem. Il is in substance the
teaching Of Jesus Christ, In the
light Of his words We may see how
widely, how disgrsoefully many Of