The media continues to follow the divorce story of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. The actress filed for divorce last September, stating that it was for the health of the family. She plans on seeking full custody of their six children. The fact that divorce can still make Hollywood news despite its commonplace occurrence in those circles reveals a truth which is experienced, even if unacknowledged and suppressed: marriage has a sacred dimension, the breaking of which has a violent effect on all persons involved. The Jolie-Pitt children are six out of about a million children a year experiencing the cruel consequences of divorce.
I was married at 23, and I left the marriage shortly after our two-year anniversary. By then, I had a one-year-old daughter. My parents, Iraqi Christian immigrants, warned me: “Divorce is not the answer, it will only bring more hurt.” They reminded me, “This is the American way, this is not our culture…Marriage is not primarily about your personal happiness…You have a responsibility…You took vows.”
Read the rest of my article at The Institute for Family Studies