Malta can now look forward to the British-style social breakdown against which she has been warned from across the political spectrum, to much hilarity over here. (The Philippines could look forward to American-style social breakdown if the same change were ever enacted there.)
No one seems to have noticed that Britain is now onto her fourth successive Prime Minister who at least talks much the same talk, even if none of them has yet walked the walk, with the Major Government making it legally easier to be divorced than to be released from a car hire contract. Before that, of course, we had the Prime Minister who broke Britain more than any other single individual.
The Maltese were once so loyal to Britain that their country, where the present Queen spent her honeymoon, was seriously considered for incorporation into the United Kingdom. The bonds of affection remain strong. By her witness on this issue, Malta had the opportunity to earn her George Cross all over again. Ho, hum.
It is high time to entitle each divorcing spouse to one per cent of the other's estate for each year of marriage, up to fifty per cent, and to disentitle the petitioning spouse unless fault be proved.
It is high time to entitle any marrying couple to register their marriage as bound by the law prior to 1969 as regards grounds and procedures for divorce, and to enable any religious organisation to specify that any marriage which it conducts shall be so bound, requiring it to counsel couples accordingly.
And it is high time to legislate that the Church of England be such a body unless the General Synod specifically resolve the contrary by a two-thirds majority in all three Houses, and to do something similar for the Methodist and United Reformed Churches, which also exist pursuant to Acts of Parliament, as well as by amendment to the legislation relating to the restoration of the Catholic hierarchy.
That would be a start, anyway.
Thanks for this David. Have linked.
ReplyDeleteA very good argument against referendums.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting that many of the arguments in favor of easy divorce focus on the freedom it supposedly brings to be people, yet the divorce culture has led to massive state involvement in family life, and not in a positive manner.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, it would seem that our political culture countenances state intervention only in onerous scenarios.
Heaven forbid the State run railroads or utilities or properly regulate the financial industry, but we can have the State direct when mothers or fathers can see their children, appointing drop off places and times as if it were managing a hostage crisis.
I blame this sorry situation on economism. Under both liberal capitalism and Marxist socialism, the institution of the State lost any spiritual content. The State simply became a managerial institution to organize atomized individuals or the undifferentiated mass of the proletariat.