Some Facts

According to The Economist, the number of Jewish marriages fell by 17%, while Anglican weddings lessened by 37% and the Catholics saw the greatest downslide at 44% in the decade between 1993 and 2003. According to the Family Law Act of 1996, a couple wedded in a religious ceremony must first be divorced under the same religion before filing for a legal divorce. It may be pointed out here that in 1999, Mick Jagger could quash Jerry Hall’s claim for a divorce on the ground that their Hindu marriage ceremony at Bali was considered null and void in the eyes of the English Law. None of the two are practising Hindus, and the religious connotations of the gorgeous ceremony were probably lost upon them. Hall herself was not very certain as to what Hinduism has to say about divorce. Matters are probably the least complicated for those who choose to go for a civil ceremony, getting married in hotels or at home or even at the registrar’s office itself. They can apply for divorce without the complications of religion coming in. Inter-religious marriages are the most complicated, since both parties would want to follow their own religious rules about this, unless they have a proper marriage certificate, in which case they can just go for a legal divorce. Inter-religious unions are nevertheless on the rise in the UK, as it is becoming an increasingly communally diverse country. A brief description about the attitude towards divorce has been given below for three religions.

Christians

The original Catholic faith of the Christians does not support divorce; in fact, they are strongly against it. The Anglican Church was established when the Church of Rome refused to grant King Henry VIII his divorce against his queen. There are stringent rules pertaining to remarriage among Catholics as well. A remarried man or woman is not allowed to receive the Eucharist, and they are not allowed to take part in the Holy Communion ceremony unless their previous marriage has been annulled by the church itself. Any child born out of wedlock is not allowed to be buried inside the Church grounds.

Muslims

The notorious ‘three talaq’ system of the Muslims has drawn massive debate from social workers, women’s groups and even religious researchers. Polygamy, too, is allowed under Islam, though only for men. Any woman who is caught in an adulterous affair is supposed to be stoned to death. However, the system of allowing a man to divorce his wife if he merely says the word ‘talaq’ three times to her, is being reviewed by Islamic scholars all over the world. Many of them believe that a religion ought to progress with age and the demands of time. In the UK, Muslim women have access to legal rights, but many of them still observe the ‘purdah’ and the older rules either out of community pressure or voluntarily.

Hindus

Hinduism did not have any clear guidelines about divorce, though it does mention several types of marriage, including some that closely resemble a cohabitation. Not surprisingly, divorce rates are very low among the Hindus of the UK, and it is still strongly considered to be a taboo. Inter-religious marriages are slowly rising, but there is often a double ceremony, i.e., marriage according to both the religions.

Perhaps, it is best not to involve religion and love together, but to believe in both.