Marriage council for a young couples

Melhek prepared a marriage council for married couples.

“Our sermons must examine our shortcomings” - Religious Teachers

It is evident through culture, faith, and psychology that Ethiopia is among the countries that place great importance on marriage.

This is why, within religions, marriage is preached as a revered institution and the foundational unit for building a community.

Thus, psychologists assert that the challenges faced in marriage are not merely the concern of two individuals but a national issue and the starting point for the next generation.

So, what must be done to strengthen marriage and build it within generations? IBC Dotstream reached out to religious teachers for answers.

Memhir Daniel Seyfemichael, a member of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church’s Scholars’ Council, states that the church has a responsibility to present its traditions and canons to the community.

Memhir Daniel, who notes that marriage is one of the services provided by the church, explains that since marriage is a part of the Gospel, the church not only educates its followers but also mediates when problems arise.

“Since marriage is a small church, destroying this sacred entity is considered tantamount to destroying the church itself,” he elaborated.

However, he added that with changes in mindset, the erosion of culture, and other factors, we can observe marriages breaking down.

Therefore, he emphasized the importance of preserving culture and urged believers to turn back to the teachings of their faith and submit to religious laws, depending on their religion.

Ustaz Nuru Turki, a teacher of Islam, on his part, explains that a lack of tolerance between spouses and a weakening of faith in their Creator could be reasons leading to divorce.

“I worry that the next generation may grow up fearing marriage and engaging in things that conflict with the Creator,” Ustaz Nuru stated. He expressed that it is not right to see a family—where effort has been invested and children have been born—collapse so easily.

“When people fail to be patient, staying married for 5 or 10 years has become rare,” the teacher said, adding that religious teachers should provide thorough education on this matter.

Prophet Tilahun Tsegaye, a servant in the Ethiopian Evangelical Churches, says, “Since God established the family, this sacred institution must be honored.”

“The Bible also says, ‘I hate divorce,’” he noted. “Thus, when humanity deviates from the word of the Holy Scriptures and abandons spiritual matters, when individualism and thoughts like ‘I am the one who is right’ prevail, and when thinking about children and the nation stops, it becomes a cause for divorce.”

He pointed out that when a Muslim turns away from the mosque or a Christian from the church, they expose themselves to divorce and related social crises.

The teacher added that if a person has a strong relationship with their Creator, they will care for those around them and their family, stressing that the entire generation must return to the Creator.

By Meron Nibret