According to this article, an MLB all-star named Ben Zobrist is divorcing his wife who’s a Christian singer (whatever that means) because she is guilty of “inappropriate marital conduct”. The article doesn’t explain what that means so I’ve got a couple of questions.
First – Why is this newsworthy? I’m not a fan of professional sports or Christian music (whatever that is) but if I were, I still wouldn’t care about this divorce. Marriage (whatever that means) doesn’t affect the attitudes or behavior of married people (whoever they are). Marriage has become a vague concept that has nothing to do with commitments or covenants. It’s just an excuse for couples who live together to start a gift registry. They already live together. They already have a kid (or two). By their own admission, marriage is “just a piece of paper”. Paper is flimsy. It falls apart when it gets wet. No way a piece of paper is gonna make it through the storms of wedlock.
And second – What in the world constitutes inappropriate marital conduct? To be concise – “Anything.” People don’t decide to divorce for no reason (generally – but celebrity vanity has no boundaries). Kicking your spouse to the curb because of “Respectable Marital Conduct” would make you look like the bad guy. You need a good reason for breaking your vows but your spouse isn’t cooperating. Your spouse is a regular human being who doesn’t kidnap children or fire guns in church. Your spouse, while not perfect, is a decent person. Only a jerk would divorce a decent person. So inappropriate marital conduct is a handy way to make divorce your spouse’s fault:
” The husband or wife is guilty of such cruel and inhuman treatment or conduct towards the spouse as renders cohabitation unsafe and improper, which may also be referred to in the pleadings as inappropriate marital conduct “
So another celebrity christian couple goes down in flames. What a shame…or is it? I mean, God doesn’t judge us. He just loves the heck out of us. Christianity is card blanche to do whatever we want to do. Take a vow. Break a vow. God’s cool with either. In the words of Ben Zobrist himself:
” We are just so thankful that Christ does not measure us by what we do. God is not measuring us by that, He is measuring us by our faith in Christ. We are perfect. According to God, we are perfect, yet we know that we are sinners. We believe in the fact that we are both saints and sinners at the same time as we live in this world.”
Is there such a thing as “Inappropriate Theological Conduct”? – If not…there ought to be.
Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.”
We are not measured by our faith. We are measured by our obedience.
12 Responses
Yes, Jack. I’ve actually been reduced to tears, searching “Christian” radio for beautiful music to help me sing to God, and only finding awful dreck that doesn’t honor God.
Years ago, I was dying. Suddenly I could hear the music… indescribable and so incredibly beautiful it’s beyond words: millions of angels and souls singing to God. All I wanted to do at that point was to join them. I understand I looked awful as I thrashed in my hospital bed, but all I was trying to do was hurry and get free of my body so I could join them, throat working to try to sing.
Now, most of what I want to do is sing to God (unfortunately, with a voice that sounds like a frog compared to what I heard.)
I did hear on the radio (not on a Christian station) a magnificent composition that encourages me to sing privately to God: A short recording of a homeless man singing on a street corner, was turned into a piece that reduces me to tears. Gavin Bryant put the man’s faith song into a loop, adding instruments slowly, with baritone Tom Waits accompanying him at the end.
Bravo, Natalie! 👏
Amen to that.
The scariest part is knowing that people will take Mr.Zobrist’s words as gospel. Also, like the comment Mr. Lowry made, “Christian” music has “mindless crap” but worst still is the false message many songs promote. Read the book for yourselves people!! Don’t trust your eternity on what you hear someone else say!
To answer your first question. Most of Christian music is mindless crap that just says Jesus loves and your perfect just the way you are. That would be enough to make it terrible nut most of them are very mediocre singers.
😂😂😂
(The laughter was to Stephen’s post….)
Hmmm… divorcing his wife (whatever that means), yet he is perfect, even though he’s a sinner: What the heck does that mean?!?
That is one confused human being! Something is horribly lacking in his theological education. I’m thinking of the ones who say “Lord, Lord”, yet who Christ says “I never knew you”.
Christ is our Savior, but He is also our Judge.
This fellow’s presumption that he can do what he pleases, but he’s ok (perfect) because he believes in Christ endangers his soul. Even Satan knows Christ is the Son of God – yet he is dammed for his arrogant pride (he is perfect) and disobedience.
Inappropriate marital conduct is when a man answers the question, “Does this make me look fat” with anything but a lie.
I think that spaced out, MK Ultra-CIA-zombie-program look they have (especially her) is what happens when them-there 5-G cell phone waves get to ya.
Going back to my bunker. (Wherever that is.)
A lot of us could be guilty of inappropriate marital conduct, a very nebulous term, from time to time. Does it mean if I don’t love my wife like Christ loved the church am I guilty or if my wife doesn’t submit is she guilty. I know from the story I read Mrs Zobrist had filed first as “irreconcilable differences” which is another term I am not sure what that all entails. If they weren’t in the professions they are in as professing Christians It would not be as newsworthy. I have to wonder if they were to get back together would it be as newsworthy. I am sorry that they have chosen to do this and feel even worse for their children as a child of divorce myself I know of the collateral damage that will occur in their lives. So I will continue to work on my own inappropriate marital conduct and pray for reconciliation for their marriage.
Cubs fans have not been given many public pronouncements about the Zobrist situation. We know he has been out of the line-up for several days. I only know about Ben Zobrist from his performance on the field and what the announcers tell us. The marriage situation is sad and I feel bad for the entire family. The rest is not my business it is between the individuals and God.