REMARRIAGE AFTER DIVORCE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 42, 12 November 1937, Page 6

REMARRIAGE AFTER DIVORCE

-Press Association 1

Presbyterian Assembly Divided RELIGIOUS CEREMONY

(By Teleeraoh—

AUCKLAND, Lajst Night. Bifliculties ■ that had confronted the committee on mar'riage and divorce set np by the Presbyterian General Assembly were indicated by the convener of the committee, the Rev. J. A. Allan, of Mount Eden, wjio presented the committee's report to the Assembly. Several spqakers complained of the inconsistent ■attimdes adopted by diff erent ministers towards remarrying divorced- persons, and recommendations for the guidance of ministers proposed by Mr Allan- wero .approved for submission to the presbyteries; ' Mr Allan said the committee found itself sharply divided and almost evenly divided on some of tlie issues that came up. When the report came in from the presbyteries it was found that the whple of the ehurch was almost equally divided on the same issues. It made it impossible to bring forward a unanimous report and it was very difficult to bring forward a report at all. Certain recommendations were, however, unanimously made. One of the questions was whether they were going to reject definitely the system in some countries, notably France, where marriage was a State eeremony, and if parties wished a religious eeremony they could have one afterwards. Civil Ceremony Opposed. The committee's resolution was definitely against a system of two ceremonies, civil and religious. It was hard to see, Mr Allan said, what good could come from this suggestion of compulsory civil marriage. Obviously the problem of marriago of divorced persons would still remain. Compulsory civil marriago would be a further step in the direction of the secularisation of life. There was no real problem here between the Church and the State, and it was their wisdoin as a church, not to raise' problems where they xvere none. The recOmmendation was unanimously adopted. * Mr Allan further proposed that the eomuiittee. be instructed to prepare for the nexfc Acseinbly a statement on marriage suitable for use in dealing with those about to marry and to prepare. a booklet dealing with the relation betwef-1 husband and wife from bobh a pliysical arid moral point of view. The Rev. J. B. Smith said the Dunedin J Presbytery wished to have prepared and sent down to " the presbyteries under the Barrier Act a statement of the Christian ideal of marriago which parties coming to be married would be expected to sigk, if they wero to be married by a- Presbyterian Churcb. He moved that this should be added to. the committee's recommendation. • ' ' The Re'v. J. Dickie supported tlhis amendment as " representing the considered judgment of the Dunedin Presbvtcry. ' The proposal to require such a document to be signed was opposed by the Rev. F. H. Wilkinson. Tlie amendment was rejected on the voices and the motion carried. Principles of Divorce. Mr Allan submitted a recommendation drafted by himself. It repudiated the prineiple lying behind the granting of divorce for incompatibility or separation by mutual consent, and said that divorce could only be rightly sought on such grounds as adultery aiid desertion, which involved a positivo olfeneo against the marriage relation. It said the church ought not? to solemniso tho remarraige of any persons tho ground of ivhose divorce slie could not approve, except in such cascs, as after careful scrutiny, exhibited repcntance and purpose " of amendment, bascd -on genuiiie Christian conviction. Mr Allan said it was most unsitisfactory to leave a decision in difficult cases to individual ministers, without guidande. Sometliing needed to be done to niake clear the church's attitude and practico