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Marriage - A Gift from God

Wleeper

Member
MARRIAGE - A GIFT FROM GOD


We hear a lot these days about marriage, what it consist of and even if the definition should be changed in our "more enlightened world." After all, we are told, times have changed and what has been true for thousands of years is not necessarily true today. This premise seems reasonable at the first reading but before we consider changing the definition of marriage we need to take a look at exactly what marriage is suppose to accomplish.

The purpose of marriage is two-fold. The first purpose is to provide a level of companionship unlike and unequaled by any other.

And the Lord God said, "It is not good that man should be alone;
I will make him a helper comparable to him. (Genesis 2:18) 2:18)
So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the
the air, and to every beast of the field.
But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to to him. (Geneses 2:20)(NKJ)

And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam,
and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord
God had taken from man He made into a woman, and he ught brought her to the man.

And Adam said:

"This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh flesh She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken taken out of man."

Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. flesh (Genesis 2:21-24)

In these verses God describes and command both the composition and the first purpose for marriage. The purpose is stated in Genesis 2:18, while the composition is described in verse 24.

In addition to companionship God also gives the second purpose of marriage.

So God created man in His own image; in the image of
God He created him; male and female He created them.
Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful
and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion
over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and every other living thing that moves on the earth." (Genesis 1:27-28)

It is impossible for a child to be created without the seed of the woman being united with the sperm of the man. No matter what "scientific" methods may be used these two things, one from the woman and one from the man are indispensable. Whether one chooses to believe the Bible or not, there is no denying the accuracy of this fact.

There is no other relationship in the world that is capable of fulfilling the above requirements and purposes for marriage. There is no denying that almost any relationship between two human beings can satisfy some of these, but nothing except traditional marriage can fulfill all of them. Furthermore, this union is to be permanent. Notice what Jesus said about the marriage vows.

Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning "made them male
and female," and said, "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." So then they are
no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate. (Matthew 19:4-6)

* * * * * * * * *
The night was as dark as any night had ever been as he lay in the hospital. Yes, she was there too, just as she always had been for over 50 years. Three days had passed since they brought him in and the doctor had told her that tonight would probably be his last. The children had gathered to give their support. They talked among themselves and mentally made plans and promises for the difficult days they knew lay ahead. They would be there for their mother, just as she had always been there for them.

She was silent as she held the hand that had held hers for so many years. She felt no need to speak. Everything that needed to be said had already been said a thousand times during the years spent together. Now her mind was far away, having drifted back over the years and over the miles they had traveled together. She remember their first date, their first kiss and "their" song. What was that particular refrain that she loved so much? Oh yes, "Long ago and far away, I dreamed a dream one day." She had lived her dream for over 50 years. Yes, there had been bad times in between the good but all in all she could truthfully say, "The good outweighed the bad."

She remembered the day she had become his bride and the smile on his face as she came down the aisle on her father's arm. She remembered the fear on his face as she left him in the waiting room to go in to have their first child. She remembered the pride they felt as they held that child in their arms for the first time. She remembered the old run down house where they lived as they worked together to get him through college. She remembered the first home of their own they were able to buy after he graduated and got a real job.

She remembered the difficult times that they had gone through together. The Christmas they only had six dollars to spend for presents and the nights they had sat up with sick children. She remembered a lifetime of making memories, spending time together, and growing closer as the years passed. It would be those memories that would sustain her in the dark days that lay ahead. Now was a time for silence and for prayer. Once again she would turn to, and depend on, the God that had served her so well throughout her life. She knew He would not desert her now.

He also had remembrances that night as he drifted in and out of awareness. He felt the hand and knew that it was hers and that it was there for him, just has it always had been. In his mind's eye he could see her face and the soft smile that he had learned to love and cherish through the years.
He remembered their first meeting, and how broke they both were and how they sacrificed as they worked their way through college. He remembered how they would walk downtown for cups of coffee late at night, the night he proposed, and their first little apartment.

He remembered the laughter of children that had made their home such a wonderful place to be, the many times when their best plans had not worked out, and their undying support for each other's dreams. He remembered the days when their children had graduated from high school and later from college. He remembered the pride they had felt as each of them had found their place in life and succeeded at their various jobs. He remembered the weddings that had taken place and the pride they had felt at their children's selection of spouses. He remembered the last home they had built after the children were gone and all the planning that had gone into it. He remembered the golden years that had been enjoyed together.

As he drifted into unconsciousness he remember the sound of his children crying in the background. But most of all, he felt an inner peace. There was no fear, no dread, no apprehension. He heard soft music as he saw a vision of angels coming down from heaven and lifting him up. Silently and almost without noticing he drifted from one world into another.

It was suddenly daylight as he found himself in a place so beautiful that it defied description. He was surrounded by angels as well as old friends from years past. He recognized family and loved ones who had departed the earth long before. He heard the music, felt the warmth, and basked in a sunlight such as he had never seen before. He remembered the words from the Bible, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him (I Cor. 2:9)." He could not remember if he had been here for minutes, days or years, when he saw something else coming out of a mist.

Across a meadow he saw a form coming out of a cloud. The body was different, as was his, but there was not a doubt in his mind who she was. He began running as she began running toward him. Once again they faced each other and their embrace was just as warm and just as wonderful as it had been in the days of their youth. Yes, the body was different but it was the spirit which they had learned to love and cherish through a lifetime together. God had joined them at the altar that day so long ago, and nothing, not even death, would ever keep them apart.

So just as they had done so many years ago they once again walked off hand in hand and heart in heart to begin a new life together; a life that would never end.

* * * * * * * * *

May God bless America and give us the wisdom to never change His definition of marriage.
 
I agree that marriage is meant to be for a man and a woman. do we really have to try to change EVERYTHING in this day and age? aren't there a few things that shouldn't be messed with? families in this country are becoming more disgraceful everyday. my dad's a school administrator who deals with student services including handling expulsions and the like. almost every case (not all) comes from a broken home or from one where the parents take no responsibility. i know this is off the subject of gay marriage, but i think there's a great movement of parents who are absent in their child's lives. i was lucky enough to have parents who came to EVERY event i participated in over the years. sure it was hard, but they made it. it's funny, and sad when mine were the only ones at sporting events and the like. so my question is: where are the parents? gay, straight, whatever.
 

painted wolf

Grey Muzzle
*sigh*

yet again this comes down to christians telling everyone elce what to believe.
You think marrage should be between a man and a woman, fine, dont marry someone of the same gender as yourself...

wa:do
 
oh, i'm sorry, i didn't realize i was addressing EVERYONE, and for that matter, telling them what to think. remind me to send out announcements to the world the next time i give an opinion. that's quite a big stereotype.
 

painted wolf

Grey Muzzle
Mustang- I wan't refering solely to you, we have had this discussion in many previous threads. And I wasn't talking about the world, I was refering to the row, here in America, yes, I am an American.

now if you want to talk sterotypes, lets talk about the 'traditional marrage' sterotype.

I'm native american, for me 'tradtion' includes being one of several wives, or the possibility of having several husbands. Or if I were a Lesbian or Gay, getting to choose a wife/husband of the same sex, so long as I could provide for them. We belive just as much as Christians do that God/Creator gave us our way of life and smiles uppon it just as much as you believe he/she/it smiles on yours.

so, who's 'tradition' do you choose to impose on everyone in America?

oh, and ps. in posting to a forum like this one (a non-christian only, world wide audiance) yes, you are putting your opinions out there for the WORLD to see. So yes you are adressing EVERYONE. :roll:

wa:do
 
Well, honestly even though I have traditional thoughts on marriage. I couldnt care less if gays get married. I mean if you let them live here, and do whatever, then if they get married and what? I mean i can walk down the street see them holding hands and blah. So who cares, its already here vibrant.
 
ok, my "traditional" view is that marriage is between a man and woman. just as you have your traditional view and how everyone else has their own definition of what marriage is supposed to be. i'm just expressing my opinion on the subject. just like everyone else. if you don't agree with it don't come and tell me that i'm trying to impose my beliefs on everyone. sure, i wish more people agreed with my version of "traditional," but who isn't looking for people to agree with them?
 

Ceridwen018

Well-Known Member
LOL, strap it down all! This is a debate forum. You post your opinions, someone else posts theirs, and off we go!

Personally, I am all for gay marriage. It's not something that I am personally interested in pursuing, but I do not feel that the traditional rite of marriage is in any way compromised by introducing gays. Marriage should be based on love. There are tons of hetero couples married every day, some in churches even, who will end up divorced because they didn't love each other enough. Also, gays can have children. They can adopt or use artificial means.
 

Master Vigil

Well-Known Member
Alot of people think that it is unnatural for people of the same sex to marry because they are naturally unable to produce children. However, marriage is not solely about having children, it is about love. If two people of the same sex love each other unconditionally, than who am I to say that they are wrong.
 

Sunstone

De Diablo Del Fora
Premium Member
Is marriage really “a gift from God?” I doubt it. Marriage is found (in one form or another) in every culture and society known to historians and anthropologists, not just in societies that have been influenced by biblical teachings. Marriage seems to be a behavior instinctual to our species. The implication is that marriage is not so much “a gift from God” as it is a behavior that evolved in our species – or in one of our ancestral species.

Another implication is that you would need to change human nature to change the instinctual tendency of humans to marry.
 

keevelish

Member
The penguin analogy is a little wishy-washy. Although many birds will choose another to be a constant companion to raise offspring with, each bird may have many partners on the side. Does this mean that husbands and wives are free to have multiple partners? Marriage is a covenant, not an unspoken agreement to raise offspring together. That is why in marriage we have witnesses- a public expression of marriage intent.
 

Master Vigil

Well-Known Member
We have witnesses and signed documents to make it legal. Not to make it a marriage. And marriage is only a covenant if you think it is a covenant.
 

Sunstone

De Diablo Del Fora
Premium Member
As a practical matter, all indications are that husbands and wives have quite often unilaterally declared themselves free to have a “partner or two on the side” despite their marriage vows. The practice of cheating is so widespread that it must be accounted as one of several core mating strategies for our species, whether we ourselves would do it or not. But it is also true that some couples are genuinely monogamous.

There are patterns to human behavior that are so pervasive and widespread that the patterns can only be explained in terms of genetic dispositions to those behaviors. Marriage is one of those. So’s cheating.

The mere fact that we are predisposed to a behavior does not necessarily mean that we should condone it. We seem to be predisposed to war, but does that mean we should glorify it? Does it mean we should give up working to end it? Of course not. The biological and evolutionary basis of behavior is not an excuse to embrace all behaviors that have a biological and evolutionary basis.

But is marriage a “gift from God”? Only if you assume that God operates through evolution, genetics, etc. That might or might not be an assumption you’d be comfortable making.
 

keevelish

Member
Why wouldn't I be comfortable making that assumption? I am a biology and medical technology major. I have seen the chromosomes that hold DNA in mitotic cells. Hmmm. I guess that I believe God created DNA.
 

Sunstone

De Diablo Del Fora
Premium Member
Keevelish,

Many human behaviors seem to have a genetic component – not just marriage. For instance: The behavior we call “cheating” also seems to have a genetic component. So, if you are going to say that God made marriage a gift to us by genetically predisposing us to marry, then on what grounds (if any) would you not also say that God made cheating a gift to us by genetically predisposing us to cheat? Or would you be willing to say that marriage and cheating both are gifts from God to us?


Even were I a theist, I would have no problem with the notion that God operates through biology, genetics, etc. Nevertheless, I think that some people might be uncomfortable with that notion because it implies what some people might consider an amoral God, and they would object to “amoral” as a characteristic of deity.

You’re a biology major? That’s exciting! I think biology is among the most interesting fields of the century.
 

pegan

Member
One project I did in high school was to observe the behavior of animals. We have a local wildlife center here, a refuge of sorts. Observing the animals also meant their mating habits. It was perfectly natural for two male animals or two female animals to go about it much as humans do.

What concept of God's Gift do you think these animals have? Some of them were mated for life, which I saw especially with the feathered creatures.

I guess, what my slightly far-fetched point is, is that what do the people who are homosexuals or bisexuals who have no concept of God's Gift of Marriage do? What makes it any different for anyone else?

Homosexuality is found in nature. And hey, we're only mammals.

~*Pegan*~
 

Sunstone

De Diablo Del Fora
Premium Member
Pegan,

I agree with you.

Whatever the causes of homosexuality, homosexuality does not appear to preclude the desire to marry. On the contrary, recent events show that many homosexuals desire to marry. That’s shown not merely by the numbers of homosexuals lining up to marry in places like Massachusetts, but also by the fact that so many of the people lining up to legally marry were already engaged in long term de facto marriages.

Is the basis for that desire the same in both heterosexuals and homosexuals? That is, is the same genetic predisposition to marry present in both groups? I would certainly think so.

So, if marriage can be seen as God’s gift to heterosexuals, it can also be seen as God’s gift to homosexuals in so far as the same genetic predisposition is present for both groups.

If you don’t mind, I’d like to expand a bit on that point. This thread started with a post claiming that marriage was God’s gift (to heterosexuals). I believe we have seen that “God’s gift” is given through a genetic predisposition to marry. Furthermore, that genetic predisposition is not just limited to heterosexuals, but is present in both heterosexuals and homosexuals. Consequently, the claim that began this thread should be amended to “marriage is God’s gift to both heterosexuals and homosexuals.”
 
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