CHURCH OPINION ON DIVORCE

Chronicle (Levin), 2 November 1946, Page 5

CHURCH OPINION ON DIVORCE

-Press Assoeiation

MOST DIFFICULT QUESTION

By Telegraph-

t- " WANGANUI, ()et. 31. .- f'Ul'hat ' tlie Assembly. ajjpoln't ,a spet- • ial 'comnyftee 'to iefami'ne. the.' la-ws rei lating to marhiage; antj. liV^i^'e?and; the efl'ects of their adminisf ralion and to consider also the moral and spiritual issues involved in the increasing prevalence of divorce." This is the text of a clause from a report by the Public Questions Committee of tlie General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church adopted at Ihe session in Wanganui last night. The ffev. P. G. Hughes (Wellington) convener pf tlie Public Questions Committee, said that opinions iuside the church were divided on this question. He did no't think that a decision 011 sucli an important question could be reached by the Assembly in the liniited time available. It should be given careful studv bv a special committfip.

Alr. A. J. AIcEldownev (Chr'istchtirch) said that people engaged in social work, in particular, were alarmed at the ease with which divorce could be Obtained aud tlie attitude of some jieople toward marriage. He had known of a case wliere a mau had two wii'ps living aud wanted to niarry agaiu. A small child was known to ask -wiiat would happen when his father went to heaven and had all those wives there. Tlie mind of a child could be disrupted by divorce. The question of divorce was one of the most diftieult which miuisters had to deeide, said the Itev. F. Winton (Christchurch). Ile -added that he would like to see the Church prepare-, young couples proporly for marriage, and -in cases of divorced persons abo.ut to niarry agaim tlie Supreme Court should supply more information otlier than the bald statement that a marriage had been annulled. Alr. AVinton added that it would be' more helpful if the Registrar of -the! Supreme Oppi't could supply some detal.ls of a person 's divorce, so that a minister could deterxnine whether this was a marriage which should be'sloepinised. "Wa don't marry people," Alr. Winton added. 'They marry themse'lves/ We simply call God's blessing on. tliem. " The report wa? adopted.