He wishes me to tell you that he regrets extremely the
sorrow that has come into your life, and that he agrees with all you have
stated in general on the subject of divorce.
There is no doubt about it that the believers in America,
probably unconsciously influenced by the extremely lax morals prevalent and the
flippant attitude towards divorce which seems to be increasingly prevailing, do
not take divorce seriously enough and do not seem to grasp the fact that
although Bahá'u'lláh has permitted it, He has only permitted it as a last
resort and strongly condemns it.
The presence of children, as a factor in divorce, cannot be
ignored, for surely it places an even greater weight of moral responsibility on
the man and wife in considering such a step. Divorce under such circumstances
no longer just concerns them and their desires and feelings but also concerns
the children's entire future and their own attitude towards marriage.
(In a letter written on behalf of Shoghi
Effendi, 19 December 1947 to an individual believer; The Compilation of
Compilations vol. I, Divorce)
