Either one or the other, not both

Do get married so that society won’t label you (with courtesy to the pro-divorce organisation). Do create a register of child offenders. Extend it to women offenders and to people who do not respect their better halves. A poster by the pro-divorce movement recently portrayed a woman with a black eye. One of the reasons for divorce was to give the woman a second chance. This does not offer a solution of how to get rid of this sort of “good-for-nothing” fellows. What are we to do with them? Is the solution to lump them on somebody else through divorce? Would you trust your daughter to marry such a person? Are these people labelled?

This action does not convince me that divorce is going to make society any better or that divorce is a solution to society. It may be a solution to one part but it will cause many more problems to the other facet. One may use divorce to run away (without having to give a reason) and leave the other part of the marriage together with the offspring in a deep problem. This problem originates from divorce. This problem has a cost. It has an effect and various side effects. The actual cost of divorce still has to be calculated.

Consider a family with three children and four grandparents. A parent decides to divorce. One persons’ decision affects eight people. One persons’ decision to start a different life with somebody else after four years will have a tremendous effect on many more family members. What is the cost of this decision to the direct family and to the state? Will they manage to maintain their previous lifestyle?

With divorce come various social consequences. A growth in single-parent homes and fatherless children is inevitable. It has been shown that this can lead on to crime, substance abuse, poverty etc. Unrestrained divorce is harmful to society. In the United States, divorce and custody cases comprise over half of civil litigation increasing the earnings of lawyers, mediators, social workers, counsellors, child support groups etc. Psychotherapeutic professionals are dedicated to improve the welfare of single-parent families.

The Maltese Constitution states that “the religion of Malta is the Roman Catholic Apostolic Religion”. The Catholic religion has the Pope as its head. It defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments, including marriage. The acceptance of a proposal for divorce would not require a simple majority because its acceptance would affect the Maltese Constitution as divorce goes against our Constitution.

Even the very posters the pro-divorce movement is using give Mr Citizen a valid reason to vote no to divorce.

The main handout by the movement in favour of divorce states: “Give love a second chance.” It also has the following note “Iva għad-divorzju iva għaż-żwieġ”, which means yes for divorce and yes for marriage.

The definition of marriage is the establishment of a partnership between a man and a woman for the whole of life. It is by its nature ordered towards the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptised persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament.

The definition of divorce is a judicial declaration dissolving a marriage in whole or in part, especially one that releases the husband and wife from all matrimonial obligations.

Divorce and marriage are antonyms (two words with opposite meanings).

The pro-divorce movement is trying to place a sympathetic message across to influence voters in the referendum on May 28. It is conflicting and confusing. Nobody can have them both.

In the United Kingdom, the role of the Advertising Standards Authority is to “regulate the content of advertisements, sales promotions and direct marketing in the UK” by investigating “complaints made about ads, sales promotions or direct marketing” and deciding whether such advertising complies with its advertising standards codes. The ASA is the UK’s independent regulator of advertising across all media, including marketing on websites. They work to ensure adverts are legal, decent, honest and truthful by applying the advertising codes.

If the Advertising Standards Authority existed in Malta I would definitely lodge a complaint on this promotion, which, in my opinion, is unfairly run, and is misleading and harmful to whoever wants to form an honest opinion. Divorce and marriage do not go together. Marriage strengthens and divorce divides.