Elder divorce in the Molokan community

[softballguru]

How do Molokans view divorce in general and how do they view divorce towards a elder of stature who divorces. Said elder viewed divorce as the unforgivable sin and whoever did this act of divorce should never partcipate in any chuch function. Said elder hated divorce. So what is done towards this elder, who is now persuing his own divorce, who holds a position in church who all throughout his life condemed divorce? Does he get removed from his front row position? If he dies of old age, can he be buried in church? Does he loose his salvation?

[RedOctober]

Matthew 19
[3]

And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, "Is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause?"

[4] He answered, "Have you not read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female,
[5] and said, `For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'?
[6] So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder."
[7] They said to him, "Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?"
[8] He said to them, "For your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.
[9] And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another, commits adultery."

Apostle Paul even states that if one in the marriage is a believer and the other is not, that they should remain married.

As for being unforgivable, there is only one unforgivable sin....and this isn't it.

As for this happening to someone of stature, that's for each individual church to decide on the best course of action. There is no Molokan Pope or Molokan Synod that has authority to issue blanket decree's.

[Guest]

A booklet about Spiritual Christian Jumpers and divorce was written 10-15 years ago by presbyter George John Samarin (Akhtinski-Samarins-Percey Street assembly). I saw it for sale in the Slauson Ave cemetery office and in the UMCA Heritage Room store. I glanced at it and recall that he used the Bible to conclude that divorce among Jumpers can be accepted.

Someone should post an except from this booklet.

[Guest]

The name of the booklet is
Marital Morality for All Seasons.
by George Samarin,
published in the 1990s

[Guest]

Is it not appropriate for a elder to get married in the church and also legally by the state with a marriage certificate? I always taught this is what elders did, so that it was ordained by God and the state.

[RedOctober]

(12-15-2009 07:52 PM)Guest Wrote:  Is it not appropriate for a elder to get married in the church and also legally by the state with a marriage certificate? I always taught this is what elders did, so that it was ordained by God and the state.

Actually there are quite a few who do not have a marriage certificate both young and old. What the state says has no bearing on a Molokan couple. For example, if the state abolished marriage, does that mean a Molokan couple are no longer married? Of course not, God is the final authority.

Most simply get the state sanctioning because of survivorship rights, tax purposes, etc.