In Which I Actually Somewhat Sympathize with Pat Robertson - Divorce
I've been way too busy this week to write a good blog entry. So, I'll just post something a bit thought provoking.
If you haven't heard yet, Pat Robertson has once again landed in hot water, this time for suggesting that it might be okay for a man married to a woman suffering from Alzheimer's to divorce her. Many people have jumped onto his statements, but not always fairly presenting all that he said. Here, from the New York Times, is one of the fuller accounts I've seen of the conversation.
“His wife as he knows her is gone,” the caller said, and the friend is “bitter at God for allowing his wife to be in that condition, and now he’s started seeing another woman.”“This is a terribly hard thing,” Mr. Robertson said, clearly struggling to think his way through a wrenching situation. “I hate Alzheimer’s. It is one of the most awful things, because here’s the loved one — this is the woman or man that you have loved for 20, 30, 40 years, and suddenly that person is gone.”
“I know it sounds cruel,” he continued, “but if he’s going to do something, he should divorce her and start all over again, but to make sure she has custodial care, somebody looking after her.”
When Mr. Robertson’s co-anchor on the program wondered if that was consistent with marriage vows, Mr. Robertson noted the pledge of “till death do us part,” but added, “This is a kind of death.”
He said the question presented an ethical dilemma beyond his ability to answer. “I certainly wouldn’t put a guilt trip on you if you decided that you had to have companionship,” Mr. Robertson said, apparently suggesting divorce as a way to avoid the sin of adultery.
So, why do I sympathize at all with Robertson? Well, this is a tough issue. It deals with identity, our obligations in a marriage, how to handle stressful situations, etc. And in fairness, he did specify that the man should ensure that his (soon to be ex-) wife is taken care of.
Why do I only somewhat sympathize with him? It's his glaring hypocrisy. He has no trouble promoting traditional marriage when it's used to support his bigotry in denying homosexuals the right to marriage, but he's willing to ignore traditional marriage when it's an inconvenience to a heterosexual spouse. There's also his inconsistency in saying that this is a type of death, which would make sense to a materialist, but not to a mind-body dualist like him. Plus, I'm not so sure I like his answer. Marriage is a commitment we make that should be taken very seriously, and unless a couple has made some type of agreement before something like this happens, I'd say that a person is obligated to care for their ailing spouse.
Anyway, I'd love to give this more thought and write something better, but I just don't have time right now.
Comments
order lipitor pills lipitor oral atorvastatin pills
Posted by: Ljzuid | March 12, 2024 12:58 PM
order generic ciprofloxacin 500mg - buy cephalexin 250mg generic order augmentin online
Posted by: Zjmznx | March 14, 2024 12:37 PM
generic cipro 500mg - buy clavulanate generic order amoxiclav
Posted by: Qgfrtl | March 14, 2024 7:14 PM
flagyl 200mg for sale - buy amoxil medication azithromycin 500mg canada
Posted by: Jtfhwo | March 17, 2024 3:24 PM
buy ciprofloxacin pills for sale - order amoxicillin 500mg online
order erythromycin 250mg
Posted by: Kbooda | March 17, 2024 7:38 PM
buy valacyclovir 1000mg - valacyclovir 1000mg pills how to buy zovirax
Posted by: Neqsox | March 19, 2024 8:08 PM
ivermectin 12 mg online - order suprax 100mg generic tetracycline 500mg us
Posted by: Zxgyzu | March 19, 2024 11:11 PM
brand metronidazole 200mg - cefaclor canada order azithromycin 500mg pills
Posted by: Euglqs | March 21, 2024 4:09 PM
ampicillin pills where can i buy ampicillin buy generic amoxicillin over the counter
Posted by: Hfbkfk | March 21, 2024 5:54 PM
furosemide 40mg sale - prograf us order capoten for sale
Posted by: Gpnzsx | March 23, 2024 11:58 AM
glucophage tablet - lincocin 500 mg over the counter buy lincomycin 500mg online cheap
Posted by: Zkgapp | March 25, 2024 7:13 PM
retrovir 300 mg uk - avapro order online allopurinol 100mg without prescription
Posted by: Zamwvp | March 26, 2024 7:04 PM
buy cheap clozaril - glimepiride for sale famotidine 20mg over the counter
Posted by: Qlhxvo | March 28, 2024 4:12 AM
buy seroquel 100mg - sertraline 100mg usa generic eskalith
Posted by: Wiidmw | March 29, 2024 9:31 PM
anafranil 50mg price - mirtazapine 30mg canada purchase doxepin
Posted by: Kmgyqi | March 30, 2024 10:32 PM
hydroxyzine 25mg price - order endep 25mg pills endep us
Posted by: Koqkuo | March 31, 2024 6:41 PM
augmentin 375mg ca - buy zyvox 600mg pill generic cipro 1000mg
Posted by: Fcsgbh | April 4, 2024 12:42 AM
buy amoxil pill - order erythromycin 250mg ciprofloxacin 500mg usa
Posted by: Isjxgu | April 4, 2024 8:56 AM
buy generic cleocin over the counter - buy cleocin 300mg for sale order chloramphenicol pills
Posted by: Dxxtvg | April 9, 2024 7:53 PM
buy zithromax without a prescription - zithromax ca order ciprofloxacin without prescription
Posted by: Codbrw | April 9, 2024 11:34 PM
stromectol 3mg online - purchase eryc cefaclor 250mg pills
Posted by: Tzoapf | April 12, 2024 4:48 PM
buy albuterol 2mg generic - buy promethazine without a prescription order theo-24 Cr 400 mg pills
Posted by: Yzsoph | April 13, 2024 11:13 AM
medrol 16 mg oral - order astelin 10 ml nasal spray cost azelastine 10ml
Posted by: Jvdbjs | April 15, 2024 5:31 PM
desloratadine 5mg cheap - buy generic clarinex ventolin inhaler
Posted by: Cizlke | April 15, 2024 9:24 PM
buy glyburide 2.5mg without prescription - glyburide usa buy forxiga paypal
Posted by: Zglrdj | April 17, 2024 7:11 PM
buy glucophage 1000mg sale - where to buy januvia without a prescription brand precose 50mg
Posted by: Ymxztr | April 19, 2024 8:06 PM
repaglinide 1mg us - jardiance drug how to get jardiance without a prescription
Posted by: Yrtkbs | April 19, 2024 9:18 PM
purchase terbinafine generic - buy lamisil 250mg griseofulvin us
Posted by: Jkvgzu | April 22, 2024 2:41 PM
order rybelsus pills - rybelsus 14 mg over the counter buy DDAVP online
Posted by: Kadmiv | April 22, 2024 8:32 PM
ketoconazole 200 mg generic - buy itraconazole 100mg generic sporanox 100mg canada
Posted by: Hlryzf | April 24, 2024 5:13 PM
buy famciclovir generic - buy valcivir 1000mg pills how to buy valcivir
Posted by: Rezkby | April 25, 2024 9:32 PM
order digoxin 250mg pill - digoxin brand oral lasix 40mg
Posted by: Tkiyov | April 26, 2024 7:56 PM
hydrochlorothiazide price - buy felodipine 10mg bisoprolol sale
Posted by: Bovpjo | April 28, 2024 9:29 PM
cost metoprolol 100mg - order olmesartan buy nifedipine
Posted by: Zcuqxj | April 29, 2024 1:19 AM
nitroglycerin generic - valsartan drug valsartan 80mg tablet
Posted by: Vjpqsz | April 30, 2024 8:39 PM
crestor online nearby - rosuvastatin online depth caduet pills solemn
Posted by: Mqhwtz | May 3, 2024 12:52 PM
zocor drug - tricor greet lipitor vein
Posted by: Cxrcin | May 3, 2024 10:15 PM
acne medication troop - acne medication pant acne treatment let
Posted by: Pgpzsb | May 20, 2024 4:58 AM
asthma medication four - asthma medication lazy inhalers for asthma splash
Posted by: Fayuvg | May 20, 2024 12:48 PM
uti medication tip - uti treatment cave uti medication vault
Posted by: Bfhjxd | May 22, 2024 1:20 AM
prostatitis treatment earn - pills for treat prostatitis perfect prostatitis pills loud
Posted by: Vezamo | May 22, 2024 9:02 AM