Nnadiebube Journal of Religion, Culture and Society

Marriage is amongst the core value cherished in African society. The sanctity attached to marriage stems from the understanding of it as a divine institution and as such efforts are made towards its safeguard. In recent time, the institution of marriage has continued to decline as a result of many factors which the chief of them is divorce. Divorce is a cankerworm, a negation and a setback to healthy family; given its many negative effects to the society. Divorce leads to broken homes, single-parenting, child abandonment, frustration among others. It advised that couples should seek for better ways in resolving their differences rather than opting for divorce. In this research, the major causes and effects of divorce on the moral formation of the child from a socio-religious approach was pointed out. Also some factors promoting divorce amongst couples were discussed. These includes: Denial of sexual intercourse cum satisfaction, poverty, marital infidelity amongst couples, lack of honesty amongst couples and childlessness. The negative effects of divorce on the child formation was stated such as: Lack of parental control on children, lack of proper child upbringing, poor academic performance of the child, psychological imbalance, lack of parental love and affection on the child. Finally some practical approaches of the church to remedy divorce was pointed out which includes: Effective marriage counselling, forgiveness and love, dialogue approach, prompt disciplinary action, family life education, religion and spirituality, guidance and counselling and effective communication. Also the prospect of the Church in the restoration of the dignity of marriage in the society was discussed

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