Covenant marriage

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In some parts of the United States there is the Covenant Marriage to German about with covenant marriage as a new legal institution. It is a special form of marriage in which the bride and groom seek advice during the engagement period and only accept a limited number of reasons for divorce. The movement to establish the Covenant Marriage as a legal form comes primarily from the evangelical field. The movement is a theoconservative , cultural, and political response to the possibility of guiltless divorce and the high divorce rate in the United States.

It is more difficult for covenant marriages to legally divorce. Grounds for divorce are typically limited to domestic violence, imprisonment crimes , or adultery . However, these restrictions only apply if the partner seeking divorce does so in a state that recognizes covenant marriage. Otherwise, normal divorce rules apply. Currently, between one and three percent of couples choose this type of marriage when it is available.

In 1997, Louisiana became the first state to introduce this form of marriage. This was followed by Arkansas and Arizona . Already married couples can have their marriage changed to a covenant marriage in these states. In other states, such as California , Florida , Georgia , Indiana , Iowa , Kansas , Maryland , Minnesota , Mississippi , Missouri , Nebraska , New Mexico , Oklahoma , Oregon , South Carolina , Tennessee , Texas , Utah , Virginia , Washington and West Virginia is the proposal to introduce this form of marriage has already been made, but in some cases it has also been rejected by the responsible state parliament, not least for the reasons given in the criticism section .

criticism

Opponents of this institute argue that through this form of marriage the state sanctions religious beliefs . Some fear that it could trap women in unhealthy attachments. In cases of abuse, it could be difficult to prove this and thus convince a judge of a reason for divorce.

Web links

swell

  • Gary D. Chapman, Covenant Marriage: Building Communication & Intimacy , Broadman & Holman Publishers (September, 2003), ISBN 0-8054-2576-4 .
  • Samuel Pyeatt Menefee, "The Sealed Knot: A Preliminary Bibliography of Covenant Marriage," Regent University Law Review, Vol. 12, No. 1 (1999): pp. 145-282.