In re-reading the original letter, it's not clear whether LW is working full-time or not. Some responses here seem to assume she just sits at home with the dogs all day. (Read the original letter again and see if she says unequivocally that she does or doesn't have a job).

If LW doesn't have a full-time job, getting one should be her first priority, because if she does leave the hubby she's sure going to need it.

LW mentions the house and living on the money she'll make from its sale, but not how much that is. She needs to get some solid numbers on how much she will actually get. Between the costs of selling it and the condition of today's real estate market what she gets may not amount to anything if there's a considerable mortgage on the place. (OTOH, if there's a lot of equity in the place, it may be a bundle of money!)

As for "freedom", LW should consider the freedom she has right now - while still married. The only things she can't do are moving away from hubby and going out with other guys. Going to school, working, persuing other interests, etc., are all open to her now. If she doesn't have a full-time job now, she may not fully understand the real-life restrictions of having one.

And if her family is as against divorce as it sounds, she may find herself estranged from them and their support (financial and otherwise). Then what?

I'm not saying she should leave and I'm not saying she should stay. I'm just saying that she should get solid information and think about what getting divorced would really mean, and whether it's what she *really* wants.

Because from the way LW describes herself ("heartbreaker", "wanted to be the bride but not the wife", "it all happened so fast" and being the first one to move on) it sounds as if she likes the initial excitement but then gets bored in the long haul. And it appears that she doesn't consider natural consequences very much. That's not meant as a put-down, just an observation.

Getting a divorce and being "free" and on her own may appear very exciting now, but how will she feel in three years? There was a time when getting married and living the rest of her life with the one guy (hubby) appeared very exciting to her. Now it's no fun anymore and she thinks she wants out.

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Some folks have ridiculed the idea that divorce is a "sin", mentioning the Pope and such. But the don't define what a sin is.

It seems to me that if LW divorces hubby, she is certainly going to cause him a lot of pain and suffering and trouble. That's clearly a bad thing, but I'm sure a lot of folks will say that her happiness is more important and that he'll get over it.

But by getting a divorce she may also cause *herself* a lot of pain and suffering and trouble.

That could be a bad thing too.

IOW, what would Christ *really* do?

Would a Christian nation spend the largest part of its governmental revenue on preparation for war and war itself? I seem to remember something about turning the other cheek and returning love for hate.

Would a Christian nation allow people to die for lack of adequate health care? I seem to recall somebody who spent a bit of time healing the sick, the blind and the lame.

Would a Christian nation use up resources and pollute the air, water and land at an unsustainable rate? I seem to remember a story about the servants being given varying amounts of talents to care for.

Would a Christian nation make a big noise about being "Christian", quoting selectively and out-of-context from the Bible when it suited their needs (and ignoring the larger message)? Or would they be more focused on *living* as He said the should?

There are Christian groups in the USA that renounce violence and waste, and who care for each other and the earth they live on. But they don't get a lot of notice in the "mainstream". Instead they are misunderstood, considered "quaint" and "eccentric", and generally ignored.

Woody Allen said that if Jesus came back today and saw some of the things being done today in His name, He'd never stop throwing up.