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desilegend ji

The Rehitnama is silent on marriages that occur between a Sikh and non-Sikh if the marriage occured before one of the couple converted to Sikhism after they married. Totally silent. Why this is could be a very interesting discussion.

One  pattern that may explain this: There are few Sikhs who are committed to their path that would be in the business of breaking up a marriage and encouraging a divorce. So the old saying -- If it ain't broke don't fix it. Marriage is sacred in Sikhism.

At the same time, Sikhs are permitted to divorce without any religious sanctions. The difficulties come from cultural and family influences. Divorce is painful for everyone -- not just the couple -- but for entire families. So it is hard.

The best way to start with the Rehitnama is to read it. It is accessible on the sikhnet.com site and also on Welcome to Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (check the navigation bar). The topic of the rehit is not as clear-cut as some may make it seem because the history of the rehitnama is complicated -- nonetheless very interesting. I will spare the details; however say this -- there have been many rehits throughout the history of the Sikh religion, and the current rehit is relatively recent in terms of its age. Your next step, after reading it, is to read about its history. You will find it is an amazing document.

My thought: If ever there were a religion that is relatively free of meddling busy-bodies it is Sikhism. Compassion rules over moral judgment.