Mena Suvari Announces Divorce, How Can Christians Avoid the Trend?
Actress Mena Suvari has announced her plans to divorce music producer husband, Simon Sestito. Suvari is the latest celebrity to announce a divorce, and has caused some to question how others can avoid the same fate.
Kim Kardashian, Katy Perry, Ashton Kutcher, Marc Anthony and Sinead O’Connor are only a few of the many celebrities that have announced breaking apart from their spouses in the past few months.
Dr. Joseph Riccioli, a licensed professional Christian counselor, is saying that Christians do not have to fear following in their footsteps if they put their faith first.
“If they’re not Christians, people will follow these trends,” Riccioli told The Christian Post. “But you have got to follow what Scripture says about divorce.”
Riccioli encouraged Christians battling with thoughts of divorce to focus on Matthew 19:9, instead of celebrating the act of divorce.
However, the counselor said that people who do not follow the standards of the Bible may fall privy to the trend.
“If you’re not a Christian, you will be living by your own standards,” Riccioli told CP. “Everyone else does not have the authority of God and will follow whatever process they feel they need to do.”
Dr. Juli Flattery, Family Psychologist for Focus on The Family, told The Christian Post that she is not surprised at celebrities’ complacent approach to divorce.
“I would think that for many people it’s not a big surprise. A lot of marriages in Hollywood are just based on physical attraction and star power and money,” Flattery said. “Those things are not going to hold marriages together. The commitment of marriage is not talked about and valued.”
Flattery compared the position that celebrities take on marriage to the stance that people should take instead.
“If love means ‘you make me feel good,’ and that’s what Hollywood promotes, then marriage will never last,” Flattery told CP. “You don't really know you love someone unless it costs you something to do so.”
