Is marriage strictly a christian institution?

Question

The thing i don't understand about the gay marriage debate is that It seems to be a against secularism more than it is against gay people. Marriage has existed since ancient Greece and each religion has a different variation of it. Buddhism, Judaism and Hinduism had marriage before Christianity and they have nothing for or against it so they all have liberal and conservative people who support gay marriage. Its not fair that Christians can use the Government to tell what people of other religions can do. What if gay atheist had a secular wedding with no religious affiliation at all

Answer 1

Like hell it is.

Answer 2

NO



In Mexico you are married by the Government or as they say by the Law and then you get married by the Church. In the US the Clergy of a Church can sign the marriage license and act on the behalf of the government. The Church marriage is valid as a Government marriage.



But the vise versa will not apply to some religions. Catholics will insist that couples go to classes 6 months before a Catholic marriage so that they can be taught about Catholic marriage. Mormons insist that couples must be married at their temple to obtain the highest degree of mormon heaven.



Religions can have their own definition on marriage and their own requirements. The can accept or not accept the Government marriage.



But as for a Government stands and Laws, marriage is not defined by any religion.



Think about it. A new religion was formed in England simply because the pope would not allow a King to marry again. Had Henry just had a divorce and marriage with a lawyer and JP instead of the Church, none of this would have happen.

Answer 3

Marriage is, first and foremost, a political union between families to stop them killing each other. When we were all hunter gatherers we had our territories and we had neighbours. We found that we got on much better with our neighbours if we didn't fight them all the time. To ensure that, we made our clans exogamous - you had to take a partner from another clan. This led to bonds between clans and families which led to trade and prosperity. The bonds were called marriage.



Marriages exist in all societies and have done since we decided that it was better than killing neighbours. The religions took it over as religions developed but it was always a political institution long before it was religious.



Most weddings today in my country, Australia, are not religious ceremonies but civil ceremonies with marriage celebrants. As religious ceremonies are a minority, why should religions have any say on whether gay people can get married or not?

Answer 4

I can actually argue both sides of the issue in my head, and what you have stated is just about the jist of "the other side of the fence" that I agree with. If that makes sense.



Ultimately I dont support it because I believe its wrong. I think you should bother to stand up for what you believe is good and right at all times. But.... I definitely get where you are coming from. Which is why I always wished they had gone for a more equally beneficial "civil union" than "marriage".



I would have totally supported that. But when you ask people to define marriage, you are going to get their personal definitions.



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PS. for context, Christians believe we started on earth with adam and eve... not christ. We believe the gospel is eternal and went through stages. but has been around since earth was created. even if the "Star" of the show didnt arrive till later.

Answer 5

No, but it is a religious one as well as a government institution. It's both because at one time both the gov and religion were the same before the idea of separation of Church and state occurred. It has just stayed both, and unfortunately some people want to make it strictly a government union and take away the religious rights of marriage. I think the proper thing to do is to make marriage just a religious institution, and defined and given out by churches, and then have the government provide civil unions(a non-religious institution for sure) and have that open to anyone and equal to marriage legally. Marriages would be recognized by the gov as a civil union. Then let each religion decide what to do with their marriages, that way those buddhists, Jews, and Hindus would be able to define marriage in their own way.



I think this solution is the only one that allows both religious rights and civil rights to be maintained.

Answer 6

The few earliest known civilizations were found near the basins of Nile (Egyptian), Tigris, Euphrates rivers (modern day Iraq), Indus valley (India) and in Yangtze, Yellow rivers (Chinese) and these civilizations definitely had marriage rituals that were non-Christian.

The Indian natives in the American continents (North and South) did have marriage rites/rituals long before white men invaded the Americas.

One of the most ancient marriage traditions (that exists till modern day) is the traditional Chinese wedding and the tradition is at least 5,000 years old and it is non-religious in nature.

Answer 7

Marriage existed long before ancient Greece

Answer 8

It's not an "institution" at all.

It's a social arrangement.

And not, it's not strictly "christian," though many christians like to think it is.

They're wrong.



I had a "secular" wedding with no religious affiliation at all, on the beach at sunset. It was fun.

Answer 9

do you believe marriage is standing before a man saying a few words and obtaining a piece of paper to do so ? Then if that is your belief marriage then is nothing more than a custom.....BUT..If you believe in the Union of marriage that is based on Godly established Truth...you will see God made Man and Woman to be in perfect harmony to fulfil each other in that Union............to say homosexual marriage is just as justified is ignorance of truth..a Man will never fit or be in harmony or in union with another Man in the perfection of Gods established foundation of marriage.....neither can two women....they simply do not fit.....



here is a fact..IF Two women or two men fit and were in union in the perfection of the established foundation and the personality traits and physical, mental and spiritual values complimented each other in that Union , why then does one or the other pretend to be the opposite sex and use things to fill the act with objects that pertain to the gender they deny ? Women use a mans genital substitute and yet claim they do not need a man and why they are with another woman ? Men use a part of the anatomy and other devices to simulate the woman's genitals to fill the void their male partner can't supply and yet they claim they do not need a woman ? yet a woman becomes masculine to try and fit the process they are not and the men become the feminine to try and fit the process they are not?



and yet they claim it is a natural process ? truth is homosexuality is a perversion and an abnormality...Not a normal process......and it is that simple...in fact homosexuality is a disorder that needs attention and yet man has allowed the disorder to be made normal instead of the abnormal it has and always will be....



the Mental field counted homosexuality as a mental disorder for years and because of pressure from high dollar lobbyists and groups that bombarded them at meetings and put political pressure on them from Politicians who vowed to take money away from Mental Health Field...they finally gave in and stated that homosexuality was not a mental disorder...and yet at that same meeting and same decision to make a statement the Psychiatry Board who made that decision also stated that pedophilia also was Not a mental disorder.....( that in itself should tell you there was a problem )...Now because those groups got that decision forced through they now are out to destroy the Law of marriage and to change the law to suit their agenda.....

Marriage , REAL MARRIAGE will always be between ONE Man and ONE Woman.....that is what makes a REAL Marriage...and it is that UNION that establishes the family and what marriage is about in perfect harmony God established.

Answer 10

The guanche people married, despite lacking a written language. Marriage is really old.

Answer 11

>>Its not fair that Christians can use the Government to tell what people of other religions can do.<<



Then why is it fair that atheists can use the Government to tell what people of other religions can do, such as prohibiting Muslim men from having four wives?

Answer 12

No. Ancient Romans and Greeks were married. Buddhists have marriage.

Answer 13

Of course it's not strictly Christian, but for some reason Christians think they own marriage. More of their arrogance, I guess.

Answer 14

Of course not, every culture and every religion has marriage. It is a fundamental human need.

Answer 15

The practice of homosexuality is destructive to the human soul. God makes it clear that homosexuality is a sin (Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Romans 1:26–27; 1 Corinthians 6:9; Jude 1:7; 1 Timothy 1:10; Revelation 21:8). Supporting gay marriage is a sin because it means to support homosexuality and the perversion of Holy Matrimony. If a nation legalizes gay marriage, that nation will be cursed.



Homosexuality is caused by iniquity. Iniquities (tendencies that cause one to sin) pass down the generation line (Numbers 14:18). When one accepts Lord Jesus as their Saviour, God forgives their sins and removes their iniquities (evil tendencies) in the subsequent transformation process which makes one more and more like Christ.



2 Corinthians 3:18

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.



2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.



Hebrews 9:12-14

Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?



Titus 3:5

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;



After genuinely accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour, ALL sinners (those who practice homosexuality, alcoholics, liars, drug addicts, fornicators etc.) will be saved and transformed. Each believer is cleansed by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and receives the infilling of the Holy Spirit who renews them.



REDEMPTION BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH



Because mankind is incapable of meeting God’s standard of perfection necessary to abide in God’s presence (Romans 3:19-20,23), God sent His Son Jesus Christ to pay the total debt for the believer’s sins and mercifully credits to his account Christ’s righteousness (Romans 3:21-28,5:1-11; 2 Corinthians 5:18-21). Jesus’ gracious act of atonement was complete and covers all sin (Colossians 2:13-14; 1 John 1:9). Salvation is not based on good deeds but according to the mercy of God (Titus 3:4-5). Believers are justified by faith; it is a gift by God’s grace (Romans 4:3-8; Ephesians 2:8-9). A true, living faith will result in a desire to live a holy, loving life of good works (Ephesians 2:10; Galatians 5:6; James 2:14-26), but failure to be absolutely successful at righteous living does not negate the believer’s justified status.



If you sincerely say this prayer, your sins will be washed away, you will be redeemed to God, be saved from eternal torment and inherit the Kingdom of God:



"Dear Jesus,



I am a sinner.

I repent of my sins.

Please forgive me and save me by your shed blood;

come into my heart.

I want to receive you as my own personal Lord and Savior.



Amen"



https://victoryinjesuschrist.wordpress.com/

Answer 16

I was reading a story to my daughter earlier about a married couple named Isaac and Rebecca. (Genesis 24) Neither of them were Christian.



But they both loved God.

Answer 17

No, despite what the Christian fundies say.

Answer 18

No, its a legal one.

Answer 19

no



it was established by god not by christians

Answer 20

It's a God institution, since God instituted marriage when He gave Eve to Adam.