WHEREAS the Ethical Culture Movement recognizes that a stable and happy family life is, in our society, essential to the health, welfare and spiritual development of human beings, and that, without love and respect between husband and wife, the continued existence of the family framework causes psychological injury to the members of the family; and

WHEREAS legal coercion. upon men and women to live together in marriages which are destructive to the values of family life is a violation of the enlightened conscience of man; and

Since the effect of restrictive divorce laws falls most heavily upon the poor, while those with adequate resources can obtain divorces in jurisdictions having more lenient laws; and

Since restrictive divorce laws often cause the practice of perjury and deceit in our court rooms;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the American Ethical Union urges its member Societies in all areas of the country to work for and support enlightened divorce legislation, including as grounds for divorce, physical and psychological cruelty, abandonment, imprisonment, or voluntary separation for stated periods of time, so that unsatisfactory family life situations may be dissolved and the partners and the children of the marriage may have the possibility of a happier life; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Assembly urges its member Societies to work for the availability of adequate counselling services for all marriages in difficulty, such services to be available at nominal cost.

Source: Where We Stand ... 1969

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