Is This Biblical Grounds For Divorce? Or Not?

[Reynolds]

i didn’t say that.

So we kind of agree, yet disagree. I handle it like I heard it explained many years ago. I forget by who. Adultery in heart is adultery, but it takes much more to commit it than just a casual thought. Looking at a woman and saying she is hot is not adultery in your heart. Wishing you could actually have sex with her is adultery in your heart.

 

[George Antonios]

Ok then if you are right then every marriage has grounds for divorce.

Only in the case at hand, it clearly went way beyond mere thoughts.

 

[Bible Thumpin n Gun Totin]

Yes, but I would divide the images and videos from the action of his signing up on an affair website. I think there are certain lines regarding where "electronic" lust turns into the equivalent of physical adultery.

For example, things like chatrooms would be more akin to physical adultery than sole images or videos would be.

Both are sin, but I think the dividing line is when you share your lust with another. That is when it becomes adultery. Lust by yourself is damaging sin, but not physical adultery, nor grounds for divorce.

My thoughts are the images and videos require the wife to separate herself and the children from the husband until he is born again, but are not grounds for divorce.

Him signing up for that affair website (and likely talking to women on there) IS grounds for divorce as he is actively engaging his lust with another soul.

 

[George Antonios]

until he is born again

I know nothing of that man, but even born again Christians - who still have their old nature - can sin like that.

 

[Bible Thumpin n Gun Totin]

I know nothing of that man, but even born again Christians - who still have their old nature - can sin like that.

I don't think they can sin to that level and duration as the holy spirit doesn't allow it. I was in a similar situation for a decade, although I hadn't hit his level of perversion yet.

I struggled with pornography of increasing deviance since I was 10 thanks to consistent exposure at public schools through peers. God drew me when I was 19 and I still struggled with it until I was 23, but the difference is after I was Saved the Holy Spirit began to fight it. He makes you setup barriers, he makes you confess it to your brethren for accountability, he makes you war with it, and he will break you down until nothing but God is what's left. From what I heard and saw of this fellow, he wasn't fighting a war indicative of the Holy Spirit being present.

I still get what I call "Satan attacks" where I get images recalled to my mind that have imprinted there from years ago of horrible stuff and I have to mentally cage those thoughts, cast them out of my mind, pray and "think on those things which are good".

I hope one day our country has a revival and bans all forms of pornography entirely. It absolutely destroys and permanently damages the young men and women who see it and it progressively devolves into further filth.

 

[George Antonios]

I don't think they can sin to that level and duration as the holy spirit doesn't allow it. I was in a similar situation for a decade, although I hadn't hit his level of perversion yet.

I struggled with pornography of increasing deviance since I was 10 thanks to consistent exposure at public schools through peers. God drew me when I was 19 and I still struggled with it until I was 23, but the difference is after I was Saved the Holy Spirit began to fight it. He makes you setup barriers, he makes you confess it to your brethren for accountability, he makes you war with it, and he will break you down until nothing but God is what's left. From what I heard and saw of this fellow, he wasn't fighting a war indicative of the Holy Spirit being present.

I still get what I call "Satan attacks" where I get images recalled to my mind that have imprinted there from years ago of horrible stuff and I have to mentally cage those thoughts, cast them out of my mind, pray and "think on those things which are good".

I hope one day our country has a revival and bans all forms of pornography entirely. It absolutely destroys and permanently damages the young men and women who see it and it progressively devolves into further filth.

I thank God for the victory he's given you. And a born again Christian - who still has his old nature - can do all that and more and die in it too.

 

[Yeshua1]

Hard to imagine a Christian, indwelt by God Holy Spirit, engaging in that kind of activity.

He has effectively abandoned her by his actions, and subsequent prison sentence. I’d say the divorce, if she wants one, would be biblical.

peace to you

his actions have violated before God his covenant vows!
Combination of mental adultery and abandonment

 

[Judith]

Josh Duggar, 33, was found guilty this week of receiving and possession of images of child rape/pornography of children under the age of 12 [At least one toddler].. Around 65 images and videos. Multiple images and when this broke, a Homeland Security officer said it was in the top five of the "worst of the worst" images he'd ever seen.

He is going to jail for a minimum of 20 years and a maximum of 40. Sentencing is a later date.

Here's my question.

Should his wife, Anna, divorce him? Can she, with a biblical defense, divorce him? I think I read somewhere that he told her about his molesting his sisters when they were teens, but his adultery and adult porn addiction came to her knowledge after they were married and had children.

He needs serious prayer. The children in those images and videos need serious prayer. His family needs prayer.

I understand that she can forgive him. But SHOULD she divorce him? CAN she, biblically speaking, divorce him?

Although his actions are certainly sin, and I absolutely do not support sin of any kind, if his actions are biblical grounds for divorce then EVERY married man or woman that has ever been has had grounds for divorce even if they did not commit the same exact sin as he did.

I have never met a man or woman, married or not that has not looked on a woman with lust or a woman that has not looked on a man with lust.

So do I think his wife has biblical grounds for divorce, NO! As should she divorce him, NO.

Lastly in my opinion the possible sentence of 20 to 40 years is way over the top. Had he actually made those pictures then yes, but not for just possessing them. I can see perhaps one to two years, although I think even that is over the top, but absolutely not 20 to 40.

 

[Judith]

In 1 Corinthians 7:14-15, Paul says a spouse that is abandoned is not “bound” in such cases. This is technical language (binding and loosing) on biblical law concerning marriage.

If the unbelieving spouse abandoned the believing spouse, they are free to re-marry. If they are both believers, they should not re-marry and reconcile if possible.

peace to you

You are twisting scripture out of context.

 

[Salty]

Josh Duggar, 33, was found guilty this week of receiving and possession of images of child rape/pornography of children under the age of 12 [At least one toddler].. Around 65 images and videos. Multiple images and when this broke, a Homeland Security officer said it was in the top five of the "worst of the worst" images he'd ever seen.

He is going to jail for a minimum of 20 years and a maximum of 40. Sentencing is a later date.

Here's my question.

Should his wife, Anna, divorce him? Can she, with a biblical defense, divorce him? I think I read somewhere that he told her about his molesting his sisters when they were teens, but his adultery and adult porn addiction came to her knowledge after they were married and had children.

He needs serious prayer. The children in those images and videos need serious prayer. His family needs prayer.

I understand that she can forgive him. But SHOULD she divorce him? CAN she, biblically speaking, divorce him?

I say she should not divorce - does she have Biblical grounds - possible - but even if she does - she is not under obligation to divorce him. She should be praying for him - did she not promise "till death do we part"?

Mind you - by NO means am I condoning what he did - yes, he did sin! and yes it was a great sin./

But lets say the situation was being a drunk - would we encourage her to divorce her husband - or to pray for him? -- Its interesting - when a man gives a testimony that the Lord delivered him from alcoholic - we think it is a great miracle........

 

[canadyjd]

…..

Lastly in my opinion the possible sentence of 20 to 40 years is way over the top. Had he actually made those pictures then yes, but not for just possessing them. I can see perhaps one to two years, although I think even that is over the top, but absolutely not 20 to 40.

So, you believe even one year in jail for processing child pornography is “way over the top”?

I’ll disagree with you.

peace to you

 

[Scarlett O.]

Lastly in my opinion the possible sentence of 20 to 40 years is way over the top. Had he actually made those pictures then yes, but not for just possessing them. I can see perhaps one to two years, although I think even that is over the top, but absolutely not 20 to 40.

When a man downloads, purchases, and stores on his computer in a hidden cache videos and images of children under twelve being raped - TODDLERS in the mix - that man is a HUGE part of the sex trafficking probem.

Those men are the WHOLE reasoning sex trafficking of babies and young children exists in the first place. And I say "men" because according to research from 2018, 99.1% of these criminals are men.

I have a very difficult time separating the man who raped the children, from the one who made the pictures and videos, from the ones who distribute it for cash, to the man who gets his "good times" sitting at his private computer and WATCHING it for entertainment!!

We are not talking about a man who took a second look at a pretty girl and lusted just a little bit.

We are talking about videos and images of the raping and sodomy of little children and a man who gets off on watching it over and over again.

I could not live with a man anymore who was aroused by the raping of children. I don't know if I would divorce him right away or get counsel about it, but he and I would NEVER live under the same roof again and he would not be around our children unattended, if ever.

I don't get that YOU don't get that this is a tremendously big deal.

 

[1689Dave]

When a man downloads, purchases, and stores on his computer in a hidden cache videos and images of children under twelve being raped - TODDLERS in the mix - that man is a HUGE part of the sex trafficking probem.

Those men are the WHOLE reasoning sex trafficking of babies and young children exists in the first place. And I say "men" because according to research from 2018, 99.1% of these criminals are men.

I have a very difficult time separating the man who raped the children, from the one who made the pictures and videos, from the ones who distribute it for cash, to the man who gets his "good times" sitting at his private computer and WATCHING it for entertainment!!

We are not talking about a man who took a second look at a pretty girl and lusted just a little bit.

We are talking about videos and images of the raping and sodomy of little children and a man who gets off on watching it over and over again.

I could not live with a man anymore who was aroused by the raping of children. I don't know if I would divorce him right away or get counsel about it, but he and I would NEVER live under the same roof again and he would not be around our children unattended, if ever.

I don't get that YOU don't get that this is a tremendously big deal.

I think separation provided by jail time is good. Remaining married is good. Guys like Josh don't last too long being targets of the prison population. So that's always a possibility. But marriage is for life.

 

[Scarlett O.]

I think separation provided by jail time is good. Remaining married is good. Guys like Josh don't last too long being targets of the prison population. So that's always a possibility. But marriage is for life.

I'm not desiring his harm in prison - even though that is a possible and unfortunate event. I pray for his soul and the children who suffered these things AND for the men/women in homeland security who have to look at these videos and images as part of their catching criminals.

My concern is his seven children - six of them the same ages of the children he has video and pictures of. 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, and a newborn.

Odds are, he is never going to be a part of their lives. These children will need a strong male influence who can guide them through this and teach them the way to live and help them later when they begin to understand all of this.

I know of MANY strong women who do this alone. But Anna, his wife, doesn't appeart the type. She appears to be in 110% denial and she appears to be a milquetoast and weak type of person. I could be wrong. I've never met her.

I still am undecided if divorce is warranted, but I am convinced that never seeing him again is a necessity for Anna and for the children.

 

[1689Dave]

I'm not desiring his harm in prison - even though that is a possible and unfortunate event. I pray for his soul and the children who suffered these things AND for the men/women in homeland security who have to look at these videos and images as part of their catching criminals.

My concern is his seven children - sis of them the same ages of the children he has video and pictures of. 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, and a newborn.

Odds are, he is never going to be a part of their lives. These children will need a strong male influence who can guide them through this and teach them the way to live and help them later when they begin to understand all of this.

I know of MANY strong women who do this alone. But Anna, his wife, doesn't appeart the type. She appears to be in 110% denial and she appears to be a milquetoast and weak type of person. I could be wrong. I've never met her.

I still am undecided if divorce is warranted, but I am convinced that never seeing him again is a necessity for Anna and for the children.

I say do what is right according to scripture, i.e. no divorce. And trust God all the way. Scripture does not provide for divorce, only separation in the NT. Remarriage is adultery no matter the reason.

 

[canadyjd]

You are twisting scripture out of context.

Just saying it doesn’t make it true. If you can show me from scripture how “twisted it out of context”, I’ll change my mind.

peace to you

 

[Aaron]

The long and the short of it is, he is guilty of illicit sexual intercourse. No one who is into porn doesn't 'pleasure himself' so to speak.

That's basically sex with himself, and the consumation of his lust for the flesh of these victims, or, in the case of willing participants, harlots.

The marriage bond is broken in truth. A divorce is just a statutory formality.

 

[Salty]

I think enough has been said on this subject

Lets just set it aside for now

Thus this thread is now closed
It is requested that a similar thread NOT be opened.