George Barna, president and founder of Barna Research Group, commented:

"While it may be alarming to discover that born again Christians are more likely than others to experience a divorce, that pattern has been in place for quite some time. Even more disturbing, perhaps, is that when those individuals experience a divorce many of them feel their community of faith provides rejection rather than support and healing. But the research also raises questions regarding the effectiveness of how churches minister to families. The ultimate responsibility for a marriage belongs to the husband and wife, but the high incidence of divorce within the Christian community challenges the idea that churches provide truly practical and life-changing support for marriages."

Barna may be dismissed for his remark - but what I read today from one (of two) Christian men on Facebook regarding their divorce seems to support that quote. This young man in particular was a member of my Sunday school class way back in my single days - and I remember how discerning he was about who he would potentially date. He and another female member were great friends and seemed so right for each other (they even looked alike..tall and blonde) - that we used to tease him about when they would marry. The funny thing is that they did have a short relationship, but it didn't progress any further than that. I lost contact with him for a while, but only recently did I find out about his divorce after a long, angry letter in response to a Christian website about remarriage. He couldn't post on the site, but decided to on Fbook. Now I firmly believe that it takes two to marry but not necessarily two to divorce. It can really lie in the fate of one person's hands - for whatever reason or another he/she wants out of the marriage. And the spouse unfortunately has to comply. Now, divorce is hard enough on the individual, but to have people literally shun you for it at church is another. That should bring a sense of shame on our part for being admittedly UNchristian. The friend of mine angers over his treatment by his christian family, and how he felt like a pariah amongst his friends. As believers, we should (duh) realize that we are not immune to sin in our lives - but if we trust in Jesus - he has taken on the burden of that sin and we are forgiven, not immune to it. That is grace at work, and the crux of our belief. NOBODY is above sin and its clutches - and if we ignore a brother or sister because they are hurting then we are hypocritical at the very least. Christ has forgiven us many times over, and comforted us when we were hurting and wounded from sin- why would his children not do the same?

Here's a classic that we always seem to forget -

So when they continued asking him (Jesus), he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. John 8:7

My heart goes out to my facebook friend who experienced the worst hurt one could possibly imagine, but he deserves praise for having the courage to bring light to a problem we face as believers in Christ.