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RELIGIOUS STUDIES COURSEWORK

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION

2. SUB-QUESTIONS

3. CONCLUSION

4. BIBLIOGRAPHY

INTRODUCTION

According to RECENT SEARCHES it is have been proven that divorce is on the increase in the Bahamas. In this coursework I will thoroughly answer the questions that have been given on the topic of marriage, whether it maybe be concerning Christian marriages, legal marriages etc. I believe that this assignment will not only expand my knowledge on marriage but hopefully other individuals as well.

SUB-QUESTIONS

1. WHAT IS MARRIAGE?

When defining the term marriage there are two main definitions. The definitions are Christian marriage and legal marriage . Christian marriage is defined as the blending and uniting of the mind, emotions, knowledge and the physical and spiritual properties of the partners with approval of legal authorities. It should also be known that another name for marriage is Holy Matrimony which in discussing the Christian faith one may find out that this is what a Christian marriage really means or is meant to be. It is also defined as an exclusive relationship in which each partner commits to the next for the rest of their lives. It should also be known in this marriage the couples about to engage in marriage should only be between a man and a woman. Christian marriage can further be defined as a man and woman becoming or uniting spiritually as one flesh leaving their parents and setting up a new place to live. It is also a three way relationship in which God plays the major part by keeping the marriage together and the husband and wife by doing their respected duties to strengthen the marriage as well. Another definition is that it is a sacrament. In some churches [e.g. Roman Catholic] a sacrament can also mean that the marriage is indissoluble ,which is because it has been established by Jesus Christ. Legally a marriage can be dissolved but spiritually the two individuals who were united as one cannot spiritually end their marriage unless one of the individuals does not uphold their marital vows or one of the couples commits any form of infidelity. . Although the majority of citizens in the Bahamas are Christians a legal marriage can be carried out even if the individuals do not believe in the Christian faith.

Legal Marriage

Legal marriage is defined as a governmental institution without any regard of religious acts in accordance of marriage laws of the courts or jurisdiction. This means that in this type of marriage there is no need for religion or religious acts and that the partners can be married as they are. Another definition of legal marriage is a relationship that results from a contract in which one man and woman agree that they both can mutually live or coexist together in the relationship of husband and wife until the marriage is legally terminated or in law for life. When entering into the marriage contract the couple legal statuses changes with the husband and wife gaining new rights and obligations for e.g. the husband being

2. WHAT LEGAL REQUIREMENTS ARE NECESSARY IN ORDER TO BE MARRIED IN THE BAHAMAS?

In the Bahamas there are many things that are required in order to be married. The first requirement is that the couple must request or apply for a marriage license from the registry. In order to request the couple must be 18 years of age or older. Also couples who are Bahamians must present a valid voter’s card or passport. Also the application for the marriage license must be signed by the marriage officer who will perform the marriage and it must contain information of booth partners. The second requirement is non Bahamians who want to be married must be interviewed by either the registrars or any of the five marriage officers. Once they have been approved the license is the issued with the applicable payment. The third requirement is that individuals over the age of 40, who do not present a certified copy of a divorce decree or a death certificate of a spouse, must wait for a search to be conducted of the records of marriage to ensure that they have not been married before If either party is single and never been married before, a declaration certifying this fact must be sworn before a notary public or other person authorized to administer oaths in the country of residence. This document must accompany the application for the marriage license. This declaration can also be obtained in the Bahamas from an attorney at law or notary public. If either party has been divorced, the original final decree or a certified copy must be produced. Where applicable, a translated, certified and notarized copy of the final decree must be produced. If either party is widowed, the original death certificate or certified copy must be produced. Where applicable, a translated, certified and notarized copy of the death certificate must be produced. The search may take up to two week. My opinion on the views of the legal requirements of marriage in the Bahamas is very positive. The Bahamas government has presented a very reasonable of requirements which helps us to better understand the procedures of being marriage in the Bahamas.

3. DEFINE DIVORCE.

What is divorce? Divorce is the discontinuing or termination of marriage, canceling the duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of the marital union. It can also be defined as the separation between the partners who are in the act of marriage. Another legal definition of divorce is the judicial declaration dissolving a marriage either in whole or in part for example one that releases the husband and the wife from all marital duties. When discussing the Christian faith most denominations do not practice divorce and some people believe that the act of divorce is wrong in God’s eyes. This is because it is a covenant of God and because of statements in the vows of the marriage or in the Christian marriage such as ‘till death do us part’ and also verses in the bible such as ‘what therefore God hath joined together let no man put asunder . In the same way a woman who divorces her husband and marries another man commits adultery .A petition for divorce may be presented to the court either by the husband or the wife on any of the following grounds that the respondent

. Has since the celebration of the marriage committed adultery; or

. Has since the celebration of the marriage treated the petitioner with cruelty; or

. Has deserted the petitioner for a continuous period of at least two years immediately preceding the presentation of the petition; or

. Has lived separate and apart from the petitioner for a continuous period of at least five years immediately preceding the presentation of the petitioner; or

. Has, since the celebration of the marriage been guilty of a homosexual act, sodomy or has had sexual relations with an animal

Voluntary conduct reprehensible in nature or which is a departure from the normal standards of conjugal kindness on the part of one party to a marriage thereby occasioning injury to the health of the other spouse or a reasonable apprehension of it on the part of that other spouse and being conduct which, after taking due account of all the circumstances of the case, would be considered to be so grave and weighty a nature that should such other spouse be called upon to continue to endure it, would be detrimental to his or her health.

A wife may also petition on the ground that her husband has since such celebration been guilt of rape. Two well known denominations of the Christian faith in the Bahamas are the Anglican and Catholic denominations. In the Anglican denomination of the Christian faith couples can re-marry or get married over again if divorce has happened. In the Catholic denomination of the Christian faith it teaches that marriage is a covenant or sacrament created by God and no person should have the right to end or unmake something that is created by God. By seeing the divorce rate through the years in the Bahamas we can see that divorce truly is on the increase.

4. WHY DO MARRIAGES END IN DIVORCE?

Marriages end in divorce because of numerous reasons. They are abuse, physical, financial problems, mental abuse, disrespect of the relationship, desertion or abandonment , boredom , adultery, . Even though the Bahamas is known as a Christian nation there is a major problem that is going on in the marriages of our people. The main acts that are destroying marriages in the Bahamas are physical, mental abuse and financial problems.

Financial problems

Financial problems are yet another reason on why marriages are ending in the Bahamas. This means the deficiency or lacking of funds or money. For example one or both of the partners in marriage may have lost their occupation and acquiring money for them to pay important things such as bills, loans, mortgages, etc can become very hard as now there income has been greatly reduced. This causes a lot of tension in the marriage where less enfaces is placed on love and having a good relationship but more is put on anything to do with financial fees etc. This causes the marriage to become null and soon there is no romance or happiness inside the marriage. For this reason just as physical and mental abuse can cause divorce so can financial problems as well.

Physical abuse

Physical abuse deals with one spouse having intent to cause injury or any kind of physical harm or endangerment to the next. This is abuse is usually shown by the male but in rare cases it may be shown by the female as well. Christian counselors, therapists etc have shown that physical abuse in marriage usually starts about because one of the spouses has observed it between their parents at a very young age. Other reasons can be because of the addiction of alcohol in which one spouse very often the male comes to their home belligerently drunk causing harm to the other spouse usually this becomes a reoccurring event if the spouse does not get help. Physical abuse can be resolved once the spouse who is causing it keeps a very strong relationship with God and attend counseling sessions.

Mental abuse

Mental abuse deals with causing emotional or psychological harm or trauma to the other spouse. This can be done by verbal aggression, degrading the other spouse, dominant behavior, jealously or jealous behavior etc. Mental abuse is extremely damaging to the marriage of the couple, the couples themselves as individuals, and if children were born it has a tremendous effect on them as well. In the Bahamas when discussing mental abuse most cases deals with verbal aggression and dominant behavior. Verbal aggression deals with one or both partners saying unkind things to one other whether it maybe cursing, name calling etc. This lowers one if not both of the partners’ self-esteem and also their love for one another resulting in divorce. Dominant behavior deals with one spouse basically trying to rule or have command over the other or one spouse trying to be in control of the next. In this event there is usually no love between the partners and the partner who is not dominant can not contribute anything to marriage because of the disagreement of the next. Also if the dominant partner does not get would he/she wants the marriage at the stage usually becomes very abusive and soon leads to divorce.

Corinthians 7:2 But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.

5. SHOW AND EXPLAIN THE PERCENTAGE OF COUPLES MARRIED WITHIN THE PERIOD 1984 TO 1989.

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By close examination of the bar graph shown above you will see that these are the percentages or rates of couples who were divorced during the period of 1984 to 1989. By further studying one can see that there have been a few ups and downs when focusing on the percentages. In 1984 it started at a percentage or rate of 1.6. In 1985 the rate dropped to 1.5 meaning divorces were decreasing and the lower ranges. In 1986 it escalated to the original rate of 1.6 unfortunately showing the divorce steady rise. In 1987 things headed for the worst when the rate dramatically arose to 1.8 which was the highest number of divorce rate during this year period. In 1988 it seemed the marriages started to strive forward again as the rate dropped back to 1.5. Then surprisingly the marriage rate dropped to an outstanding 1.1 the lowest of the time period. On my understanding of these events can see what may have been going on in the marriages of the Bahamian people because after 6 years of rise and falls the divorce rate suddenly descended meaning a resolve of this problem. It also shows that the marriages of the Bahamas had gone through a dramatic change maybe because of prayer, couples better understanding one another etc.

In conclusion of studying the percentages of couples in this given time period it shows that though the divorce in the Bahamas were high in the end the Bahamas had one of its lowest percentage of divorce. Also through this study wee can see that just as the period of 1984 to 1989 showed how the citizens of the Bahamas resolved their marriages after going through a rough time the citizens of the Bahamas in this generation can learn the same because unfortunately are divorce rate is increasing instead of decreasing as the years go on.

6. STATE THE GROUNDS FOR DIVORCE IN THE BAHAMAS.

When talking about the grounds for divorce it simply means the requirements or things that are needed to file or go through with the act of divorce. Also it should be known that there are two types of divorces in which the grounds can be filed on and they are fault-based where one partner does something wrong to the next and no-fault based where no wrongfulness was done. Even though these types of divorces do not always give the final decision on whether divorce should be carried out by the courts. In the Bahamas the grounds for divorce are different from other countries but are similar at best. They are carried out by the courts and the grounds for divorce in the Bahamas are found in the Bahamas Matrimonial Causes Act and both the husband and wife has there rightful grounds for divorce.

There are quite a few grounds for or petition for divorce that can be represented to the court either by the husband or wife. They are: The wife of the marriage has handed in a petition that her husband has committed adultery, the husband of the marriage has handed in a petition that his wife had committed adultery, since the celebration of marriage the petitioner has been treated with brutality, one spouse has deserted the other for an incessant period of at least two years right after preceding the presentation of the petition, one spouse has lived separate from the other spouse for a incessant period of five years right after preceding the presentation of the petitioner, since the celebration of the marriage the other spouse has been guilty of a homosexual act or has done the act of bestiality.

The court has major duties when concerning the grounds for divorce. They are: On a petition for divorce the court inquires, so far as it logically can, into the facts that are alleged and whether there has been any kind of connivance or condonation on the part of the petitioner and whether any conflict exists between the parties and to inquire into any counter charges that are against the petitioner. Without accomplishing these duties even with the grounds of divorce the divorce cannot be carried out.

7. WHAT EFFECT HAS DIVORCE HAD ON CHILDREN OF DIVORCEES?

Divorce has had a dramatic effect not only on the children of divorcees in the Bahamas but all over the world we live on. While going through the process of divorce parents must explain divorce to their children or end up causing their child or children to misinterpret the act of divorce which causes negative effects on the lives of the children. We can see this by the behavior of children whose parents have gone through divorce. They often think that it was them who caused there parents to divorce causing them to try bring their parents back together but by sacrificing themselves. Also divorce may have an effect financially in the family as well usually concerning the children. Such as being unable to pay for educational fees for example private school fees, college fees, national exam fees and so on.

Children of divorcees act out in different ways depending on the age factor. Older children often show a lot of pain and sadness while younger children usually are the ones who show misbehavior, and a lot aggression. This is because they feel a traumatic loss knowing that their parents are now separated and this also leads to vulnerability to physical and mental harm. We can also look at this in institutions such as Shore, The Boys Industrial, The Girls Industrial School etc which house disruptive children who most of time have gone through divorced with there parents. Also as one can see the children of divorced couples usually end up with their mother instead of their father leaving the father-figure out of the lives of the children. This can have a negative effect on the children especially the males because they then look toward someone else as a father-figure such as criminals etc in the neighborhood. The solution to all these events are that parents should tell the child about the situation together, admit that the divorce will sad and upsetting to everyone, keep things as uncomplicated as possible, make sure that the children know that their mother and father still loves them, and do not converse about each others problems or mistakes with the children. Also during the process of divorce parents along with there children should be involved in counseling either with their church etc or be involved in psychotherapy at any psychiatric institution. This prevents the effects divorce may have usually concerning the children.

8. WHAT IS THE CHURCH’S RESPONSE TO THE INCREASE IN DIVORCE?

If one wants to make sure that he/she is making the right choice for going into marriage the church should be the first place to go to. Most individuals do not do this and their marriage becomes unstable and fails resulting in divorce which is one of the reasons why the increase in divorce is happening. For this reason the church is doing great actions in stopping this increase in divorce. The church’s response for divorce is usually opinionated as some people believe that divorce is a wrongful act in God’s view and couples should stay marry while others believe that there is nothing wrong with divorce and the partners involved in marriage should have the esteemed right to discontinue their marriage if they do not wish to continue. But the main points they are requesting are that couples go through certain assignments or tasks before fully engaging in marriage and couples married should listen to sermons, teachings etc and anything Christian like that will give them a better influence on marriage before they partake in it.

When talking about the certain assignments or tasks the church has requested they are: Christian counseling before marriage, conversion to Christianity, etc. Christian counseling means the help with personal or psychological situations in a Christian or Christ like perspective. When focusing on the topic of divorce Christian counseling makes a huge difference on the prevention of divorces in the Bahamas. During Christian counseling about marriage which is usually done by a pastor couples are enlightened on information about how to sustain a marriage. This is done by talking about: troubles or issues in general, such as an obscurity or difficulty in the conversing of the couples, personal tribulations that may develop or happen in the marriage, the loss of sagacity towards God’s principals for marriages and the enemy or Satan that plays a part in the destruction of the marriage.

When talking about the obscurity in the conversing of couples this roughly means the inability for the couple to have a conversation without a conflict or without a disagreement. The church helps these couples by acquiring them with ways in coming to an agreement in a conversation without a fuss and by understanding one another to prevent conflicts caused while conversing from happening. On the topic of personal tribulations the church’s solution is that couples or partners are told that in every marriage partners in the marriage go through at least one tribulation that is hurting to the marriage. Even though, through prayer the marriage can work out without the need of divorce. When discussing the loss of sagacity towards God’s principles the church’s response is that not just couples but as individuals in the relationship you must read your bible as you gain information of god’s principles from it and by attending church regularly to regain your sagacity back. And last the point on Satan plays a part in the destruction of the marriage is the church lets us know that Satan first comes to kill, steal and destroy. This means that anything created by God or anything God has given to man he will try to end it. On the case of marriage this was given to man by God as a covenant so Satan will also try to destroy this. The church’s solution is that couples should offer many prayers unto God so that there marriage or future marriage may last.

Conversion of Christ means to fully turn yourself over to Christianity or to change your past ways and follow the ways of Christian life. Since God is the one who has given marriage to man and he only gives it to his people, marriage can only be a true marriage and it can only survive without divorce if the couple engaging in marriage have been converted to Christianity. Many citizens of the Bahamas have not converted or fully converted to Christ and thus their marriages are failing. This is why the church tries their hardest at showing people that the Christian life is the right choice to go to.

When talking about ministering about marriage the churches of the Bahamas do this by explaining it in sermons, books, etc. For example the Bahamian born bishop known as Myles Munroe travels all over the world and appears on international television ministering at certain time the message of divorce. Many other churches do this as well but usually on a national level. Even though all these things are done it is still up to the individuals or couple to believe in what is being said. This plays a factor on the increase of divorce in the Bahamas but if the church continues to do what it is currently being done the increase of divorce can be ceased at last.

9. WHAT SHOULD BE THE CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE ON DIVORCE?

The Christian perspective of divorce should be that if a couple has been married but through prayer and analyzing one or both of the couples finds out that God had not put the next as there true partner or soul mate then divorce should be carried out. In the Christian community there is a vast amount of opinions on what should be the Christian perspective of marriage. These opinions are divided into the different denominations of the Christian faith.

God performed the first marriage ceremony between Adam and Eve, therefore we can say with assurance that God loves marriage and that it is a divine institution (Gen. 2:18-24). God also hates divorce and says so many times in the scriptures (Malachi 2:16). Jesus said the only reason that divorce was permitted was because of the hardness of human’s hearts but this was not done in the beginning (Matt. 19:8). If a husband’s or wife’s mate leave them, then they can not be held responsible for the marriage and Paul apparently believes that they are not bound by the law (I Cor. 7:15).

Clearly, God reveals throughout the Bible that He hates divorce and that husband and wife were intended to marry for life. Divorce is permissible where spousal abuse occurs or where children are endangered by one of the parties. Here is where it is permitted because the higher moral law is to protect children and, in most cases, women from abusing husbands and fathers. It should be noted that some men had to divorce their wives because of spousal abuse too. What the Bible teaches is that divorce is the high exception to the rule and it should always be the very last resort in any marriage. God hates divorce because of what it does to the family which is society’s support system. Divorce is also very harmful to children in almost every case, again with the exception of where abuse is occurring.

In the Roman Catholic denomination it teaches that marriage is a holy act or sacrament given to man by God and that meager human actions cannot destroy it. However in this denomination even though in their view that divorce is not of God a declaration of nullity or annulment can be granted to the couples if evidence has shown that the necessary conditions for contracting a valid marriage were absent. Annulment means to state that a marriage was never a true marriage in the perspective of the church. Also this can only be granted by the church authorities and applied in ecclesiastical courts.

In the Methodist denomination it teaches very similar as the Roman Catholic in which they to believe that divorce is wrongful in the eyes of God. The difference between these denominations is that even though the Methodists may not perform the act of divorce an individual who has gone through divorce can remarry in the church once counseling has been done and the individual has received forgiveness from God. Methodists also believe that once partners repent of divorce the grace of God covers them.

the Bible teaches that it is unlawful to marry again after a divorce. Even if a single person who marries a divorced person, it is called adultery (Duet.24:4). Divorcing someone is not considered adultery but Jesus did say in Matthew 5:32 that “… anyone who divorces his wife [or husband I would add], except for sexual immorality, makes her [or him] the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman [or man] commits adultery.” But then again, even looking at another person with lust in their hearts is also considered adultery (Matt 5:28). However it is important to remember that it may be the best course of action where safety for the spouse and their children is concerned, so each case must be looked at in particular and not all divorces and remarriages can be considered in the same way since circumstances may be different.

If you remarry after your spouse has left you, they were unfaithful, or they were abusive, this is an extenuating circumstance and God would not condemn anyone for this. Paul would say that it is better not to remarry, but not everyone can handle this if they are continually tempted sexually (1 Cor. 7:8-9). Others were married and divorced before they became a Christian and after being born-again and so to remarry a Christian is not a mortal sin.

Besides, there are no sins that are not covered by the blood of Christ upon professing Him as Lord and Savior. Christians who know other people that are not saved or other Christians who have been divorced and remarry should be forgiving and not judgmental. They may not know all of the circumstances but even if it was not permitted, every one of us have sinned and will continue to sin until the day our Lord comes for us.

Fornication is not the same thing as adultery. Fornication is having sexual relationships between unmarried people and fornication is strictly forbidden by God. Sexual abstinence is commanded before marriage, but after marriage, God wants the husband and wife to enjoy sex because that is the primary reason that He created it.

10. WHAT DO YOU THINK COULD BE DONE TO HELP ERADICATE THE PROBLEM OF THE INCREASED DIVORCE RATE IN THE BAHAMAS?

I think that a lot of measures can be done in order to eradicate the problem of the increased divorce in the Bahamas

Marriages are not like fairy tales. Everyone has to make compromises, but ultimately despite the compromises and sacrifices one must have a bond with one's partner. This bond is not only love, but is companionship, friendship, and mutual understanding.

The first thing people need to stop doing is stop playing the blame game. The moment you understand that things are not all that fine, don't immediately jump to blame the other. But, we invariably do this, and it becomes an endless tussle. So as long as we believe that the cause is outside, we are never going to solve the problems. Look inwards, and in this lies, the solution to the problems we face. but how many are willing to criticize themselves? Not many. If you cannot introspect, then you are going to suffer. Time is thought to be the solution. If you look closely, time is not the one that solves the problem. What happens is that you begin to see the same thing in a different light. Your perception of the problem changes. It is this change that usually solves the problem. This can be done immediately, if you are willing to let go of your current perception of the problem.There are many other things one can do. Mind has infinite capacity to handle things efficiently. All we need to do is to learn to harness its capabilities. This is one aspect, which we are never taught in schools, and we never try to learn outside too.I also think that kids play a vital role in avoiding divorce, as sometimes in conflicting situations between their parents, they cool down their parents and avoid divorce to happen. Thanks to these lovely kids who do that for saving their parents relationship and their own future.

Churches should held conventions where the main topic is on marriage and divorce and every one in the area married or not can come, organizations that help in maintaining marriages should be built in the Bahamas and partners should only have a sexual relationship with the person they are married to. Even so the divorce rate can only be eradicated if the people of the Bahamas accomplish these things for themselves and only if they do it for the reason that they are the ones who want to do it.

When discussing the topic of churches holding marriage conventions, most if not the majority of the population of the Bahamas attend church. If marriage conventions are held this means that half or even more of the Bahamas’ population of marriages would be saved from divorce. Also when discussing on this topic in order to be prevented from being a victim of divorce one must know more about marriage first. This gives partners or couples more ways in which there marriage can be saved. By having marriage conventions this informs them all of the information needed on marriage which saves there marriages, meaning the divorce rate is being eradicated as well. An example in which marriage conventions help eradicate the divorce rate is in our churches there are couples who have yet to be married and there are those who have already been married. There are also couples outside of that specific church but are in the community who have not been married yet and those who have been married. If the church in this community and also others holds a marriage convention where points such as how to sustain your marriage, how to keep a healthy marriage, how to prevent divorce etc are discussed if both of these couples and marriage partners mentioned attended the convention this means that in that short period of time almost half of the marriage population in the Bahamas may have been saved from unfortunate divorces. Also because these people have realized that there marriages have been saved or strengthened if another convention is held they may call there family, acquaintances, colleagues etc which means more marriages may be saved as well.

On discussing the topic of marriage organizations just as marriage conventions these can help to enlighten the people of the Bahamas on marriage which helps them to know what can be done to stop a potential divorce. By looking at those found in the United States and viewing how it benefits there country we can see that if organizations like this are established in the Bahamas they can be beneficial to us as well. An example of a marriage organization that would be beneficial in the Bahamas is ‘Family Warriors a Brotherhood of Believers’. This is a Christian based organization in which the goal is to help men to become exceptional husbands and fathers so that there marriage can last and not end up in divorce and to eradicate divorce from the body of Christ and build flourishing and great marriages. To achieve this goal the organization focuses on three main areas which are preparing single men for marriage, improving marriages whether troubled or in need of help and saving marriages whether divorce has been filed partners have already achieved divorce or partners are in the process of divorce. In the Bahamas the main individuals who have caused marriages to end in divorce are the husbands. If organizations like this are established in the Bahamas more men who are married can gain knowledge on how to sustain their marriage and those who have not engaged in marriage as yet can be prepared for it.

When discussing the topic of only having a sexual relationship with the partner who one is married to this to is very important in eradicating the divorce rate. As we can observe in our country there are many divorces that are filed on the account of adultery. Adultery means having voluntary sexual relations between a married individual an somebody other than his/her spouse. When discussing the Christian faith adultery is listed in the Ten Commandments as a sin. In our society men have been known to be the ones who are committing adultery and women to a lesser extent. Even though this may not be true as women cheat on their partners just as much as men the men of the Bahamas must take it in themselves to resist temptation. If men learn to do this also women there will be less incidences of adultery in marriages and because most divorces are filed because of this the divorce rate will stop increasing as well.

CONCLUSION

By doing this coursework I have discovered the importance of marriage and divorce in the Bahamas ,it has open my eyes to better life and a better understanding of relationship.

Genesis 1:27-28 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Google

2. Parent

3. http://bahamianlegaladvice.blogspot.com/2012/03/getting-divorce-in-bahamas.html

4. http://www.halsburylawchambers.com/FAQfamilyLaw.html

5. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/State_the_grounds_for_divorce_in_the_Bahamas

Invertebrates

There are two basic groups of higher animals. They are vertebrates and invertebrates. While both have advanced through the processes of evolution, there is one fundamental difference. Invertebrates do not have backbones. Both groups are in the Kingdom Animalia, but their bodies are organized differently. What makes invertebrates different? All invertebrates share common traits. At the bottom of the invertebrate world are the sponges. Sometimes they don't fit in but they are still part of the group. Here's the nice and neat little list.

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(1) They are multicellular. It's more than being a colony of individual cells. The cells are working together for the survival of the organism. All of the cells have specific duties and responsibilities.

(2) No backbone. We already talked about this one. That's the whole definition of invertebrate, no vertebrae.

(3) No cell walls. When we talked about plants, we always mentioned cell walls. Invertebrates don't have them. Remember that even if none of them look like animals, they are. Being an animal means you have no cell wall.

(4) Here are a few that have the qualifier "most" attached. That means not all of them have the trait, but most do. Most of them have tissues (not sponges) that are specific organizations of cells. Most of them reproduce sexually (not asexually). That means two gametes combine to form a new organism. Those gametes come from separate organisms (male and female).

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Most invertebrates can move. Even sponges move when they are very young and very small. Once they settle down they don't move anymore. Other invertebrates like lobsters and insects move around their whole lives. Most invertebrates are organized in a way called symmetrical. Symmetrical organization means when you can draw a line down the middle of the organism and the two sides look like mirror images. Draw a line down the middle of yourself and one side looks like the other side. If you draw a line down the middle of an octopus you would find two sides with equal parts. Remember we said most? Sponges and some coral are not symmetrical.

(5) Invertebrates can't make their own food. Scientists use the word heterotrophic. Heterotrophs feed off other things to get their energy. Plants are autotrophic. They make their own food. Being heterotrophic is one of the main characteristics of being an animal. We eat things, whether it is plants or other animals. That's just the way the world works.