Would Donald Trump’s marriage be accepted in a CA church?

[JayP]

I am stunned. Why is this a topic and what is wrong with folks discussing this?
Look, I am neither endorsing or rejecting Trump.

I do not recall Trump seeking membership in. CA SETTING, do you?

It is wrong to do this speculation. If you want to condemn Trump for his multiple marriages and divorces, fine. Do so.
Or do not. But not within the context of his joining a church he has no interest in.

[Josh]

But that was the Reformer's logic. "Whatever the NT forbids, we won't do."
The Anabaptist motto was, "Whatever the NT encourages, that we will do."

So whenever Jesus says that from the beginning, that God's intention was one man and one woman for life, Anabaptists attempt to align themselves with the heart of God.

Yes, but we don’t see anywhere that God’s heart was either of these things:

- Expecting people to be “faithful” to a spouse who cheats on them, goes and marries someone else, and has no desire to reunite with them.

- Expecting people to be “faithful” to “vows” to someone they shouldn’t have married and can’t be with now, but those vows somehow prevent them from being married to another person, or reconciling with a first spouse.

I realize that many early Anabaptists did allow for remarriage in the case of unfaithfulness, even for members of the church. Most Anabaptists today would say that early Anabaptists who did this were working off of the Catholic understanding and in the centuries since then, they have come to a more scriptural understanding.

I’m glad we can agree on that understanding. I have a thought on that I can reserve for another post.

Does CoGiCM allow church members to remarry in the church, if their spouse has an affair with someone and leaves the church?

Yes, although reconciliation is strongly encouraged as is waiting a while for a reconciliation to happen.

Someone I am acquainted with married a member (who was adopted, if that’s relevant, from Romania from a situation that seems to have resulted in a lot of trouble people; the orphanage may have engaged in extreme neglect). They had two children.

His wife abandoned him and the children and pursued a series of illicit activities possibly including possibly prostitution along with possibly appearing in pornographic material and definitely including at least one extramarital activity. She sought a career in rap music videos, becoming a bodybuilder/influencer and took steroids for that purpose. She also identified as nonbinary (not quite transsexual but similar). It was adjudicated after quite a few years he is free to remarry due to the sexual immorality. She expressed no desire at all to reconcile with him.

After he got remarried and he and his new wife had a baby, his first wife suddenly straightened her life out and decided to be present in the girls’ lives again. She has no desire to be a church member again but has abandoned some of the more extreme behaviour.

The treatment is identical to how it would be if they had both been non members when they got married.

[Josh]

I am stunned. Why is this a topic and what is wrong with folks discussing this?
Look, I am neither endorsing or rejecting Trump.

I do not recall Trump seeking membership in. CA SETTING, do you?

It is wrong to do this speculation. If you want to condemn Trump for his multiple marriages and divorces, fine. Do so.
Or do not. But not within the context of his joining a church he has no interest in.

It’s a hypothetical exercise, since Trump’s dalliances are well known. Why does discussing it bother you?

I would like to see Trump repent and pursue a Christian life before it is too late.

[JayP]

Again, open kimono.

I have neither voted for Trump or his opponent in any Presidential race.

Your argument would equally apply to everyone on my street. Should we discuss the theoretical status of their marriage situation on admission to this generic, non definitive CA church?

Feels wrong to me. Not saying I am right but saying it feels wrong
I think Trump fans or Trump opponents could easily read it, and it fires off more controversial yet meaningless arguments.

I think seeking peace means avoiding such discussions. Just my opinion

[Josh]

Again, open kimono.

I have neither voted for Trump or his opponent in any Presidential race.

Your argument would equally apply to everyone on my street. Should we discuss the theoretical status of their marriage situation on admission to this generic, non definitive CA church?

Feels wrong to me. Not saying I am right but saying it feels wrong
I think Trump fans or Trump opponents could easily read it, and it fires off more controversial yet meaningless arguments.

I think seeking peace means avoiding such discussions. Just my opinion

JayP, with respect, there is no reason not to talk about a public figure and discuss how such a person could possibly fit into one of our churches.

I cannot see anything remotely immoral or wrong about discussing how a public figure could seek salvation and church membership.

If Trump fans or foes have a problem with it then I’d be happy to discuss it with them.

This isn’t an Eastern business meeting where we have “forbidden” topics and police each other’s speech.

[barnhart]

I am stunned. Why is this a topic and what is wrong with folks discussing this?
Look, I am neither endorsing or rejecting Trump.

I do not recall Trump seeking membership in. CA SETTING, do you?

It is wrong to do this speculation. If you want to condemn Trump for his multiple marriages and divorces, fine. Do so.
Or do not. But not within the context of his joining a church he has no interest in.

I think he is being used as a hypothetical case to discuss belief around marriage.

[Nomad]

The NT doesn’t say anything to think remarriage (at least for men) would be prohibited. It just says it’s wrong to divorce your wife except for a valid reason. It is a bit concerning how many CAs feel comfortable adding to the scriptures for this.

Ok. So you see an allowance for divorce and remarriage in the case of porneia then?

I don’t see where the Bible prohibits remarriage at all, except it says explicitly not to marry a divorced woman.

The question is when a divorce is allowed. Matthew seems to say for porneia. If a divorce wasn’t allowed, someone should reconcile with their spouse who wants to reunite with them.

I agree with you on the allowance for divorce and remarriage.

I'm only trying to understand your wording when you say it is explicitly not to marry a divorced women...is it gender specific? Does it work in reverse? Can a single women marry a divorced man but not a divorced woman to a single/divorced man? I would say Jesus is allowing for divorce in remarriage in the case of someone's spouse (man or women) committing porneia against them with this particular allowance clause. But thats not the main point of His answer of course. His point is that divorce, remarriage, and porneia were never in His designs for marriage from the start.

[Josh]

Jesus says it’s wrong to married a divorced woman.

He says it’s wrong to divorce your wife - unless she has been sexually immoral.

We have to infer everything else. I think there is room for different churches to have different practices.

[silentreader]

Is there a scriptural basis for the position that what one did before becoming a Christian and joining the church is different for remarrying after becoming a Christian and joining the church? I can understand the reasoning, that those without the Spirit of God can't be held to the same standard as those with the Spirit of God, but I am curious if there are verses/passages that are used for this position.

Isn't the prohibition against divorce an offshoot of a Creation principle, "In the beginning it was not so", making it theoretically of universal application?

[Ernie]

There is however another option: suppose Trump gets elected again, and then exercises his right to assassinate Marla Maples, much as Obama assassinated a U.S. citizen. Now all his ex wives are dead and he is free to be remarried. Then he “repents”, steps down from the Presidency, and joins an ultra conservative church.

Would they accept his marriage to Melania Knavs?

I have no idea... If they would, they would probably want him to redo his vows, since his first vows to her were made whenever another partner was still living.