Divorce

When I used the phrase:

these good God fearing people

about the church goers that is what I really meant. I neither envy or hold them in contempt. God made me different from most (in fact I hold the record of being the only known person on the planet to have both a genetic condition called "Marfan's Syndrome" and cancer.) If you add in the loss of one kidney, God made me different from most. I use physical examples because I believe these are linked to how God made us. Also I ate fruits from the tree of knowledge - and I have been exposed to things that they have not, I could tell that from meetings with those folks.

I, like you, obtain hope from knowing that true geniuses are Christians. But I wonder if Einstein went to a Christian fellowship group and prayed for a smooth extension building for his neighbours house? Somehow I doubt it but I do not know.

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Your marriage analogy is interesting but again it's weird, it's like the example of the marines you gave, an unfortunate one for me right at this time. I am wondering what God is telling me?

As you know, I had two marriages, neither of which lasted very long. When I was a child, everything told me that to be in a marriage for life was the condition to be sought. I don't really know many people that are happily married, I am glad that you and Lisa are, but I no longer think that marriage for life is the natural condition. People change. I can see benefits to having a loving family community for the children, but look at our histories, not shining examples of marriage being any better for the children.

I'm not suggesting that people should be bedhopping or not having long term serious and committed relationships, but I don't believe "for life" is now the natural condition. Hopefully until the kids leave home, but who knows? This sounds jaded but it is not. I have spent time thinking about it. I believe those parts of The Bible that extoll the values of "til death us do part" are not God's wishes - because He never made us like that. Time will tell but I think in a few thousand years things will be very different, we are still emotionally maturing as a race. The Bible suggests that abstaining is the best approach, and this certainly leads to less sinning, so is probably what God wants. Then the human race ends (no procreation) and we all go to Heaven. Maybe that is the test?

Yoda tells Anakin that "attachment leads to jealousy" and "the fear of loss is a path to the dark side." That being the case, the proper response is to "train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose."

Is this what God is asking of us? I think most people would dismiss this out of hand, but I see something of Job in it, and God is offering that I learn this lesson. Like Job. But I really have learnt it Lord (I have!).

So for me, the example of Earthly matrimony is not a good comparison. For me, believing in Jesus is something you do, and there is no going back. No option of divorce. I probably sound too jaded but I am really very happy with a big smile on my face, life is good, I am alive !!