I do.

According to Article 1 of the Family Code, Marriage is a special contract of permanent union between a man and a woman, entered into, in accordance with law, for the establishment of conjugal and family life.

Here in the Philippines, absolute divorce is not allowed, but annulment is. But what is really the difference of the two? Well, as far as I have known in my Practical Law class, the only difference of the two is their spelling. Yes, both processes are most likely the same. They mean separation of the married couple and after their separation, they are both allowed to marry another. That is the only difference between absolute divorce or annulment of marriage and legal separation.

I am really against the legalization of absolute divorce in the Philippines. First of all because marriage is a sacrament. It is then blessed and holy. Why then would you break a blessed and holy rite? Absolute divorce, for me, is a sin. It is against some verses in the Bible. The following is an example:

“Haven’t you read that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” –Matthew 19:4-6 NIV

Marriage is a contract joined by God. So it is not righteous to separate that togetherness. Even though the contracting parties do not love each other anymore, it is still not valid for them to be absolutely divorced or separated, even if they are not happy with their relationship anymore. They must have thought of that before they went into the process of marriage.

Another reason why I am not for absolute divorce is that it has many ill effects on the people. If people are informed about this, they will depend on it. Depending on it makes him play with his relationships with other people, making the blessed marriage ceremony useless. This also has bad effects to the children of the contracting parties. If the parents of the children were happy for around ten years and something went up on the eleventh, causing them to file a divorce, what will happen to their children? See, not only their lives are affected but also the lives of their children.

Legally speaking, according the Family Code, the husband and the wife must live together, observe mutual love, respect, and fidelity and render mutual help and respect.

Spiritually and religiously speaking, these verses support my stand:

“Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love you wives, and do not be embittered against them.” –Colossians 3:18-19 NASB

“So each husband should love his wife as much as he loves himself, and each wife should respect her husband.” –Ephesians 5:33 CEV

These are merely my opinions. But I still believe in my stand; that people must think over their decisions many times before saying the two words that can indeed, change your fate in the future: “I do.”