Jack Newman Ms Neehouse

Religion Multimodal Presentation

Question 7- ‘Laws regarding divorce and the custody of children address
issues which are currently important in Australian society. Analyse the
response a person representing a religious tradition might make to these
laws.’
Currently in Australia, every third marriage ends in a divorce. The divorce rate per 1000 of
the population remains around the level of 2.5% with an average of 1-2 children that will be
affected by each on the divorces. Women in Australia are more likely to divorce than to die.
There is 33.4% chance for a marriage to end in divorce whilst only a 22% chance for a
woman to die while still married. These statistics show that divorce is quite a common
occurrence in Australia and an ongoing problem however it is not divorce itself that is the
problem it is children that are affected by it. With divorce comes many issues like which
parent gets custody of the child, what rights the child has, does his or her age make a
difference and worst of all possible abuse and neglect that the child may be receiving because
of it. During the rest of my speech I will talk about each of these issues just listed and finally
give a Christian word on the issue of divorce as we being Catholics it is a religion that all of
us can relate too and a large part of what makes up our core morals and values.

Firstly, divorce is the separation between a married couple and the legal dissolution of a
marriage. This on its own doesn’t sound like a huge issue and is quite a common occurrence,
however divorce has very large potential to bring endless onslaughts of legal and family
issues with it. The many legal issues and problems that come only worsen if there are
children involved and will provoke a much more serious and devastating event. Child
custody, very possibly is the biggest issue that can arise within a divorce and is a large
concern that brings with it a number of problems. Custody refers to who has legal decision-
making authority in the life of a child. There are two basic issues in regards to custody, these
are physical or residential custody and Legal Custody these determine which parent the
children or child will live with. This parent is referred to as the Residential Custodian. Then
there is legal custody this decides who will make the decisions on behalf of the children
concerning health, education, religion, and general welfare. The most common form of
custody is Joint Legal Custody. This is where they live with one parent the residential
custodian, while the other parent has visitation rights. With Joint Legal Custody, both parents
make the decisions on behalf of the children. Joint physical custody is often referred to as
shared parenting. It is when the child resides with both parents for a significant amount of
time. In order for this type of situation to work, there must be cooperation on both sides. The
parents would also have to live in close proximity as not to affect the child's schooling. This
option also may not be in the best interest of the child. The final possibility is sole legal
custody this is where one parent has the right to make all the legal decisions however this
form of custody is not common anymore unless special circumstances regarding the child’s
well being are found.
Jack Newman Ms Neehouse

Children caught up in the divorce process do not go without a say, they have certain rights
entitling them to even sway the turn of events that the may be facing. Every child has the
right to have a loving relationship with both parents. The child has the right to uninterrupted
communication with each parent., the right to not be subjected to the parents fighting over
custody and other divorce issues and most importantly, the child has a right to visit the
alternate custodial parent without interference from the primary custodial parent. These rights
protect the child so that there relationship with each parent is normal, loving and caring. If a
child is not allowed frequent visitation and communication, or is allowed to see and hear the
parents fighting, the child could possibly suffer from emotional and psychological stress.
While a young child might seem unaffected by these things, such situations can have adverse
effects as the child grows up in a stressed environment. This is a very important reason as to
why this issue must be heard because children that are subjected to fighting could grow up to
believe that it is normal for parents to continually fight and increasing the likelihood of
continuing a chain of marriage and divorce.

Abuse and neglect is a very serious issue that can come with the matter divorce. The impact
of child abuse and neglect is often discussed in terms of physical, psychological, behavioral,
and societal consequences. In reality, however, it is impossible to separate them completely.
Physical consequences, such as damage to a child's growing brain, can have psychological
implications such as cognitive delays or emotional difficulties. Psychological problems often
manifest as high-risk behaviors. Depression and anxiety, for example, may make a person
more likely to smoke, abuse alcohol or use illicit drugs. High-risk behaviors, in turn, can lead
to long-term physical health problems such as sexually transmitted diseases, cancer, and
obesity. This is in only in most serious case issue were parents had very likely already been
neglecting and abusing their child that would result in a whole new legal matter.

The understanding of divorce in a Christian perspective is best explained like this. God loves
you and his grace and forgiveness is for you. If you are now single again, He understands
your need for companionship and will provide for it. God does not expect you to live single
the remainder of your life, unless he has given you the gift of celibacy. He does not expect
you to try and get back with your former spouse, unless you both desire such and neither of
you have subsequently remarried. If you have married again, he will bless your marriage and
help you and your spouse make a go of it, if you but follow his loving care and guidance. God
will even help you deal with all of the troubling baggage from your previous relationships.
God understands the pain of divorce, having experienced it himself. Through the prophet
Jeremiah, God said, "I knew that the kingdom of Israel had been unfaithful and committed
many sins, yet I still hoped she might come back to me. But she didn't, so I divorced her and
sent her away" (Jeremiah 3:8 CEV). Yes, God is a divorcé too, although through no fault of
his own. God even forgives you if you were the sole cause of your marriage breaking up. He
loves you intensely and desires to bless you and your relationships, bringing forgiveness,
healing, restoration, and hope back into your life. He will take what the devil has meant for
evil and turn it for good. If you will only trust and obey him, he will lead you into a future
filled with overflowing love, joy, and peace. Some people, even some Christians and
churches, might reject you, but he accepts you.
Jack Newman Ms Neehouse

It is safe to say that divorce is an issue that is accepted in the Christian way of life and God
will forgive you and help you along your path if ever it may concern you. It is also a legal
issue that can be resolved in an ethical and moral way if the right steps are taken. However,
the underlying issues of child abuse, neglect and damaging a child’s relationship with either
Mother or Father is a problem that divorce can potentially bring forth and is not accepted in
the Christian or legal stances that are relevant in society today. Divorce can be accepted in the
Christian way of life but one who is to induce child abuse, neglect and ruin family
relationships is not ok in any religion and if the person has any sort of good moral and ethical
behaviour it should never occur in the first place. Thank you.