Add to favorites Examiner Bio

Jon & Kate announce they’re headed for divorce.

Listening to the story on the guide channel, Kate’s Sister in Law Jodi talked pretty candidly about John’s affair and how Kate came to him and said “ you can have girl friends and live your own life, just do the show.” At seventy five grand an episode you can sort of understand the motivation. Jon and Kate and the kids now live in a million dollar house and taking care of eight kids is going to be expensive as single parent for Kate and also for Jon.

 

It’s easy to pass judgment on them both but to give them the benefit of the doubt, lets just say there is always blame to go around on both sides and it takes two to make a marriage work and when it doesn’t both usually share some blame.

 

It’s really sad to watch this happen. It’s sad to watch any couple get a divorce, especially when kids are involved. Kate has said that parents of multiples have a higher divorce rate. Celebrities also seem to have a much higher divorce rate. While things no doubt were tough on them both, you have to choose to make things work.

 

While it is never too late and I hope that they will both sacrifice to make things work for their own sake as well as for the kids. There isn’t anything we can for them except the most powerful thing and that is to pray. I hope their family will encourage them to do what is right and not what it is easy. Most people don’t see divorce as easy but they do understand that it is easier than continuing, otherwise they would. In Jon’s statement released to the press he gave this revealing quote, “this afternoon, Kate filed for divorce. Our kids are still my number one priority. I love them and want to make sure they stay happy, healthy and safe. My job is being the best, most supportive and loving father that I can be to my kids, and not being married to Kate doesn’t change that." Kate said something similar. While you need more than love for your kids to make a marriage work, they both fail to understand that getting a divorce does fundamentally affect your ability to be the best parent you can be. Choosing to get a divorce is not choosing to be the best parent, it will hurt your children. This just one very important reason to avoid divorce at all costs and this reason alone is enough to make one work hard at a marriage.

 

As disappointed as I am about this situation and while I don’t want to dump on Jon and Kate, there is one question I think Christians need to ask themselves. Should Jon and Kate have been role models? Though no one can say who is and isn’t a Christian, we should question publishers and Christian bookstores who would put their videos, books and what not in their stores. Just watching the show, while it may be entertaining, you can see that the family seems to be lacking Christian values. Sure they had some morals, but not Christian values that the Bible calls us to. Christians or not, publishers and bookstores need to be careful about including materials that are “family friendly” but not overtly Christian. Why does it need to be overtly Christian? Because, while non Christian media may be entertaining, what can a Christian get out of the program unless they are living obviously for the lord?

 

My wife likes to watch 18 kids and Counting, this is a reality show that is about an overtly Christian family living out their beliefs. While I don’t agree with everything the Duggar family does, the show is entertaining and helpful towards my Christian walk. I also enjoy watching Little People Big World. The show is about a husband and wife who are little people raising four children on their Oregon farm. The Roloff family is not as blatantly Christian, but in the episodes you learn that the children do go to a private Christian school and they are involved with their church. I don’t know and can’t say what their spiritual life is like. The family isn’t perfect and while I don’t agree with all of their parenting methods I do find the show uplifting and encouraging.

 

All of this is to say two things. First pray for Jon and Kate and their family and do what you can to help families in their situation. Second, watch what you take in because it can change you and encourage the wrong behavior. If Christian publishers, churches and bookstores were more careful in what they took in they may have served the family better by putting them less in the spotlight and served their audience better as well.