On what grounds does someone have the right to divorce? Are things like years of impurity, phone sex, or even sexual neglect legitimate grounds for divorce? What about strip clubs? I am not sure on what grounds divorce is allowed biblically apart from sexual intercourse outside marriage and abandonment. -- Derek (Dayton, Ohio)
My thought would be not to consider anything adultery unless it involves an actual relationship with another person. I certainly realize that many things may not strictly qualify as adultery, and yet they are wrong and inflict a deep wound on the marriage. In time (years of impurity), this may well lead to separation and divorce.
Make no mistake about it: broken trust destroys the very foundation of a marriage. Even though some things do not strictly speaking qualify as "adultery," they hurt the violated spouse deeply. Christians, as children of the light (Ephesians 5), should strive to keep a healthy distance between themselves and the traps of Satan.
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