Hungarian Church Press, 1968 (20. évfolyam, 2. szám)

1968-06-01 / 2. szám

HCP Vol XX Special Number

1968 No 2- 80

(07784)

Prejudices concerning wealth, family relations, social status,landed property, names and connections no longer determine the modern marriage* Individual taste and affection determine the choice, appearance and cultural values are dominant, thus the traits cf the humánum are in the foreground«

As a result of this new situat ion, exist ing unions once made according to the old standards are losing their value,, Divorced persons tend to look for new companionship, Today,s society no longer condemns or ostracizes the divorced woman. On the other hand, the number of divorces and their statistical analysis indicate that the legitimate emphasis on the rights of the individual tends to degenerate into selfish subjectivism with no thought for the interests of the married partner«

As to the cause of divorces, we can make the following inferences from the available statistical data;

Economic causes do not figure, and there are relatively very few cases in which the outward circumstances (housing, in-laws, children) are blamed. Most of the divorces are caused by personal reasons. Mare than half of the divorces are caused by selfishness, lack of love, failure to under' stand the meaning of tip marriage union, both on the male and female side«

This underscores the task of the church as most of the divorces raise dhical problems and not other, for instance, economic problems«*

The statistical data seem, at first glance, to substantiate the opinion that marriages today lade the solid foundations they had before. But the truth is that divorce, as a solution is more frequently resorted to than before. There were marriages in the past in which the partners were held together by the outward influences of society although their unions had been emptied of valuable content«, Today, these marriages are more easily dissolved, in an official manner also* Hence the numbers do not admit a comparison.

But what is the exp lan at ion for the easier divorces? Anthropologists say that young people today reach their sexual maturity earlier than in former generations. Yet social ard moral maturity often lags behind bilogical maturity. This gives rise to problems. Then manual workers, because of better pay, marry earlier. Also the students are in the position to marry duriog their student years. The improvement of the economic conditions makes this possible. On the other hand, there are factors which militate against the stability of these early marriages; lack of maturity, military service, long periods of separation because of studio.» r employment in distant places. The flaming up of new passions, lack of fidelity, laxity of moral views break up the marriages. Pacts prove that premarital promiscuity has an adverse influence on future marriages.

One must deplore the low birth rate of our country. Recent measures will certainly bring an improvements Children as a rule strengthen the marriage ties. On the other hand, if one of the married partners, chiefly the husband, uses marriage exclusively for the gratification of his sexual desires,