Divorce and Religion – A Common History
The oldest union on Earth is marriage. In Genesis, God married Adam and Eve after he made them. However, almost as quickly, the rise of divorce came about. The practice was normal during Moses' time, and the Old Testament book of Numbers contains laws for annulment.
It is to be the exception, rather than the rule. In Asian cultures, we are given to understand, it was a bit more commonplace. This is even more the case in modern times. It makes interesting reading if you go through its long history. Let us turn to it now.
Besides the Biblical account and some fragmentary evidence from other cultures, there is not much on the practice in the western world until the rise of the Greek and Roman civilizations around 1000 BC. In the eastern world, husband's married many wives, and the practice was common because of the lack of respect for marriage. In Muslim countries, people may apply for a divorce, however, it is contrary to the Muslim religion.
By the time of Greek society, however, marriage was regulated and accepted. In ancient Athens, all you had to do was to submit a request to a magistrate, who would judge whether the request was lawful and would then either accept or deny the request. In early Roman culture, free marriage was not accepted. However, as Rome became more decadent, it adopted the maxim that marriages should be free. In theory, the husband or the wife could initiate a divorce at any time, but divorces remained rare.
With the rise of Christianity, marriage turned into a more permanent institution. The middle ages consider break-ups in marriages as immoral an act yet there were stray cases of the like of Henry VIII who were exception to the rule He had six wives during his reign, and would execute two of them.
It still occurred during Victoria's reign, but was strongly discouraged. More often an informal divorce would occur, where the wife and husband would separate despite still, technically, being wed. This attitude held during the 18th and most of the 19th century, before starting to change again.
Divorce is a casual affair nowadays with the more casual legal procedure involved in it. In the United States, marriages end before the death of one partner 40% of the time. This is a far cry from the standards of earlier times.
If you find this interesting, you can read more about my experience as an good divorce attorney in Austin TX. You may also want to watch our free online seminar on divorce in Austin Texas at www.AustinDivorceHelp.com. If you haven't found the information you need, you can take a look at our Austin TX divorce FAQ's.
