Is a married woman who left her husband due to his marital infidelity permitted

1. 59

   Transministryposted 15 years ago

   Is a married woman who left her husband due to his marital infidelity permitted to remarry?
   
   Especially if the man has brought in another woman to the matrimonial home and she is not willing to live with a poligamous situation.

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2. 83

   wychicposted 15 years ago

   I don't know what the laws and norms are in other countries, but in the US they're certainly allowed to remarry. My first husband never went so far as to bring her into the home while I was still there, but I don't tolerate infidelity and left just weeks before she got pregnant. I am now remarried to someone who actually stands by his marriage vows. However, I know every country is different, and some are vastly different than my experience.

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3. 73

   dashingclaireposted 15 years ago

   I am not sure if you are seeking a civil law answer or religious one. I agree with wychic answer. There are certainly Christian and non-Christian women who remarry in religious and civil ceremonies. This is a religious viewpoint.
   I know this is a long answer, but there are a lot of references in the Bible for and against:
   
   Deuteronomy 24:1-4: Divorce of a woman and prohibition of remarriage to her original husband: A man could force his wife to divorce him, if he found that she had committed an indecent act. She could remarry. But if her second husband died or divorced her, she could not return to her first husband. There was no similar procedure for a husband who is guilty of indecency.
   
   Ezra 10:1-16: Forced divorce of foreign wives: In the 5 to 7 decades that the Jews had remained in Babylonian captivity, many had taken foreign wives. This opened up the possibility of introducing Pagan beliefs and practices into Israel society. The people confess their sinful behavior and decide to abandon their foreign wives and any children that had been born. The fate of the women whose marriages were terminated, and of her children, is unknown.
   
   Mark 10:2-12: There are no valid grounds for divorce: Jesus here implies that all marriages are permanent; divorce is not allowed for any reason. He also implies that either the husband or the wife can initiate a divorce. This does not agree with the historical record; in 1st century CE Palestine, only a husband could end a marriage. Liberal theologians speculate that the gospel was written by a member of a Gentile Christian church outside of Palestine in the Greco-Roman world where a woman did have the right to divorce her husband. So, the author wrote from his own experience in Pagan territory and had Jesus reflect Pagan customs. When Matthew later extracted this story from Mark, he modified the text to bring it into accordance with Jewish practice.
   
   1 Corinthians 7:10-17: Remarriage is permitted, in some circumstances: Paul apparently wrote this passage in response to some Christians who were married to other Christians and were considering separating from their spouses and leading a celibate life. Paul personally recommends that couples stay together. (Not always wise today) The Christian spouse should not initiate a separation or divorce; however they should allow their non-Christian spouse to separate if they wish. If the Christian is left, he or she is no longer "under bondage." They are apparently free to remarry.

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