Life is Short – Divorce is Not Recommended

About two weeks ago, the Chicago community was provided a billboard advertisement that attracted a great deal of attention. Evidently much of that attention was exactly what the advertising firm wanted, but that did not keep the sign from being stripped from display. The sign featured a scantily clad woman designed to provocatively draw the attention of men on one side, and on the other side, there was the torso of a shirtless muscular man. The middle of the sign featured its message, “Life is short. Get a divorce” followed by a phone number for the Fetman and Garland law firm, which specializes, of course, in divorce. The sign only hung on its perch for a week before it was stripped down by city workers.

Chicago City Alderman Burton Natarus explained that the firm had no permit to hang the sign, and for that reason it was removed. However, there were scores of complaints from neighbors and passers-by. Even other attorneys remarked that it reflected poorly on their vocation. It seems that the complaints arose, not because of the poorly dressed man and woman, but because of the message that was being portrayed regarding marriage. Fetman and Garland, both female lawyers, were not at all opposed to the sign. Evidently they were involved in its creation, and they indicated they were upset that the sign was removed. However, they indicated that it had been good for business. Since the sign had been up, they indicated that their firm had a dramatic increase in its number of calls.

Now that I have explained the details of this incident, please allow me the privilege of expressing my most profound and wretched contempt for that sign, for its message, and for the actions of the two lawyers who put it on display. Some said, “What was wrong with the sign?” I would shout from the top of my lungs, “What was not wrong with the sign!?” It was bad enough that there was a “soft pornographic” display of a woman and another of a man. It amazes me how tolerant American society is of the public display of women who are dressed in skimpy beach wear, lingerie, or any other kind of garment (or lack thereof) by which they can draw a man’s attention. The whole world knows that men are initially driven to sexual response by sight. Those of us in the Christian community call that “lust” when it is done toward someone other than your married spouse, and we remember well the words of Jesus Christ in Matthew 5:28 where He stated “Whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her hat committed adultery with her already in his heart.” In other words, the Bible says, looking with sexual interest upon a woman is lust, and lust is adultery, and adultery is sin. Period. Despite the fact that this is a well-known Biblical injunction, it is almost completely ignored in modern society. I am convinced that many women dress that way knowing that they will draw a man’s attention, simply to “flatter” themselves, or to compete with other women, or so they seem to think. Does the “scantily clad man” on the billboard have the same affect on women? I will not get into that! I would like to think I have already made my point!

Despite all of that, I am far angrier over the message of this outrageous billboard than I am the pictures. “Life is short. Get a divorce.” What does this message mean? There is no need to play games over this. That message, along with those pictures, is simply saying this: “Listen… Marriage is no fun! Life is too short to get stuck with one woman or one man! Look at what you are missing! Why don’t you come to us and get a divorce! Dump your husband, or your wife, and get out there and have some fun!” Anybody with a pea-brained imagination can see clearly such a message on that sign! I will quickly insist that communicating such a message is more than contemptible, it is outrageous, and I have no doubt that those who live a lifestyle of trying to promote such a message will incur the wrath of God.

The Bible tells us that God never intends for anyone to have to get divorced. Jesus even goes so far as to say that divorce is a sin. There are two exceptions to this: (1) Divorce is not a sin if one’s spouse lives in a lifestyle of adultery, and (2) divorce is not a sin if one’s non-Christian spouse demands that he or she wants to leave. Despite all of this, divorce has touched nearly every family in America one way or the other. We are all sinners, whether we have committed the sin of divorce or not. If you are not divorced, do everything you can not to get one, unless you are forced to for a Biblical reason. If you are already divorced for a non-Biblical reason, then ask forgiveness for it. Once you have repented, then get on with your life, and thank God for his goodness, putting the past behind you. However, the bottom line is this: never, never¸ show such blatant disregard and disrespect for marriage as what these divorce lawyers were attempting to do. Such attitudes are evil and wicked in the sight of God and will be met, one day, with severe judgment. “Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.” (Hebrews 13:4)

James Sanders

Pastor

sandersjc@yahoo.com