Hey Everyone,
Recently, I have felt led to listen to podcasts regarding the plight of those who are differently-abled throughout the pandemic, which resulted in my reading about an American politician named Madison Cawthorn.
Please note that this thread is NOT about politics, nor is it about the many controversies surrounding Mr. Cawthorn himself.
Rather, here is what I'm interested in discussing.
Mr. Cawthorn was a fully-abled person until the age of 18, when he was riding as a passenger with a friend who was driving. His friend fell asleep at the wheel, resulting in a car accident that left him partially paralyzed and in a wheelchair.
At the time, Mr. Cawthorn had a fiancee, but after the accident and his resulting condition, his fiancee broke off the engagement and their relationship.
Was she right or was she wrong to do this?
Here in the Singles Forum, we have been talking about marriage and what the realities of a married sexual relationship really looks like.
Now I'm guessing that if the couple is already married, there's no other answer except for them to stay together ("in sickness and in health"...) And we know that in reality, couples have indeed divorced because of such situations.
But what if it happens before the couple is married?
Let's use this example:
Brother Bill and Sister Sally are engaged to be married. But Brother Bill/Sister Sally is in an accident that permanently paralyzes him/her from the waist down. Should they still get married? What rights and responsibilities does each one carry, and does the accident change that?
Before answering, please take a minute to picture yourself in BOTH scenarios -- see yourself as the fully-abled person who is now facing married someone who has become differently-abled, and see yourself as the the differently-abled person who is left wondering if the fully-abled person will still marry you.
If both people are Christians:
* What happens if the differently-able person would no longer be able to have what might be seen as "normal" sexual relations?
Please note that I am NOT, NOT asking what kinds of alternative sexual behaviors might be possible for the couple.
* What I'm really asking is, does the loss of sexual functioning after the engagement, but before the actual marriage, give someone the right to terminate the relationship?
* Is the fully-abled person still Biblically committed to marrying this person, or are they now allowed to walk away and just start over with someone else?
* Why or why not, and what Scripture would back either answer?
I'm really interested in hearing people's feedback about this from a Christian perspective.
Recently, I have felt led to listen to podcasts regarding the plight of those who are differently-abled throughout the pandemic, which resulted in my reading about an American politician named Madison Cawthorn.
Please note that this thread is NOT about politics, nor is it about the many controversies surrounding Mr. Cawthorn himself.
Rather, here is what I'm interested in discussing.
Mr. Cawthorn was a fully-abled person until the age of 18, when he was riding as a passenger with a friend who was driving. His friend fell asleep at the wheel, resulting in a car accident that left him partially paralyzed and in a wheelchair.
At the time, Mr. Cawthorn had a fiancee, but after the accident and his resulting condition, his fiancee broke off the engagement and their relationship.
Was she right or was she wrong to do this?
Here in the Singles Forum, we have been talking about marriage and what the realities of a married sexual relationship really looks like.
Now I'm guessing that if the couple is already married, there's no other answer except for them to stay together ("in sickness and in health"...) And we know that in reality, couples have indeed divorced because of such situations.
But what if it happens before the couple is married?
Let's use this example:
Brother Bill and Sister Sally are engaged to be married. But Brother Bill/Sister Sally is in an accident that permanently paralyzes him/her from the waist down. Should they still get married? What rights and responsibilities does each one carry, and does the accident change that?
Before answering, please take a minute to picture yourself in BOTH scenarios -- see yourself as the fully-abled person who is now facing married someone who has become differently-abled, and see yourself as the the differently-abled person who is left wondering if the fully-abled person will still marry you.
If both people are Christians:
* What happens if the differently-able person would no longer be able to have what might be seen as "normal" sexual relations?
Please note that I am NOT, NOT asking what kinds of alternative sexual behaviors might be possible for the couple.
* What I'm really asking is, does the loss of sexual functioning after the engagement, but before the actual marriage, give someone the right to terminate the relationship?
* Is the fully-abled person still Biblically committed to marrying this person, or are they now allowed to walk away and just start over with someone else?
* Why or why not, and what Scripture would back either answer?
I'm really interested in hearing people's feedback about this from a Christian perspective.
-
3
-
1
-
1
- Show all
