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SE' FCTED DIVORCE RATES*
RATE PER 1000 PEOPLE
COUNTRY
NUMBER OF DIVORCES
.19
J
ltaly
11,109 (1981)
Mexico
21 ,394 (1978)
Japan
(1981)
Belgium
Germany (West)
France
85,000 (1979)
Norway
6,634 (1980)
Switzerland
1
10,500 (1980)
Netherlands
27,900 (1981)
NewZealand
6,100 (1979)
Scotland
10,521 (1980)
Czechoslovakia
34,595 (1981)
Sweden
Australia
Canada#
Denmark
Germany (East)
United KiW.dom
(England
&
ales)
148,301 (1980)
Soviet Union
931 ,000 (1981)
United States+ 1,180,000 (1982)
Figures are latest year avaílabfe as reported in the
1981 United Nations Demographlc Yearbook
unfess otherwise indicated.
#
Source: Statistics Canada
+
Source:
M\lnthly Vital Statistics Reports;
Vol. 31, No. 12; Nationaf Center for Heallh Stalistics,
Births, Marrlages, Divorces and Deaths;
U.S.
Department of Health and Human Servlces.
mental building block of society.
Because of its irnportance, God
rnade Jaws to protect the integrity of
thc farnily (Ex. 20:12, 14, 17). In
addition, rnany biblical statutes
ernphasize the rnarriage and parent–
child relationship, and admonish
humanity to uphold them both.
God considers the role of parents
to be vi tal. God is called the "father
of the fatherless" ( Ps. 68:5). This
phrase applies to the childrcn of
widows, to those who may not even
know who their fathers are, those
whose parents are separated for
economic reasons or pending a
reconciliation, as well as the chil–
dren of divorce.
January 1984
The re ls a Way Out
God takes seriously the problems
caused by divorce: "Behold,
l
will
send you Elijah the prophet
befare the coming of the great
and dreadful day of the Lord: And
he shall turn thc hcart of the
fathers to t he ch il dren, and the
heart of the children to their
fathers, lest 1 come a nd smite the
earth with a curse [utter destruc–
tion]" (Mal. 4:5-6).
For 50 years, the pages of
The
Plain Truth
have thundered God's
warnings about the dismcmber–
mcnt of the family to a world
wrapped up in its own pleasure
secking- a society bent on learning
every lesson the hard way.
A survey done in the U.S. a few
years ago by
Parade
magazine
showed that, after a year of having
thought about their divorce, 60
percent of the men and 73 percent
of the wornen questioncd fclt that
they had rnadc a mistake in divorc–
ing the ir former mates.
What a pity that so many are
either ignorant of their Creator or
refusc to listen to him. And
because of parcnts' mistakes, chil–
dren suffer the consequences,
sometimes all their lives.
God hears the cries of the chil–
dren of divorce. He sees every tcar.
And soon now, the very God who
creatcd the family will step in to
save that inst itution.
God in his tremendous merey
has provided mankind a way out.
Christ has paid the penalty for our
sins (Rom. 3:25,
J
John 2:2)- not
to allow us to remain in our sins
(J ohn 8:
1
1) but to enable us to
makc a
fresh start.
The soon-com–
ing kingdom of God will give thc
world that chance.
We can begin to make that ncw
beginning even now. God gave usan
instruction book that 1ists teaeh ings
on evcry facet of Jife. We call that
book the Bible. The Bible has rnuch
to say about child rearing, divorce
and human relations in general. Thc
book of Proverbs is full of sound
counsel for young (and old) pcoplc.
Now is thc time to be forearmed
with thc knowlcdge God has madc
availablc to us in the Bible. Thc
problems that beset the children of
divorcc can only be dealt with after
the fact. But if you are a parent in
this situation don't stand idly by–
blow off the dust on your Bible and
read it.
Find out how to deal with lifc,
marriagc, children. Put to practicc
the counscl mcntioned in this articlc.
More important, lcarn to seek God's
will in cach aspcct of your lifc. With
God 's help and a lot of di ligencc on
your part, perhaps your divorcc will
be thc last in your farnily. And your
childrcn will be g rounded in a way of
life that will stand them in good
stead in the world tomorrow- a
world in which there need be no chil–
drcn of divorce, just children who
are happy, lovcd and free from fcar
of a shattercd family.
o
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