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Interesting that this topic should come up. Just yesterday I went on a short day trip with my parents, and we were discussing a couple we know who got divorced just a couple of months after being married. Apparently the couple was of two different Christian denominations. My mom said that the preacher the girl originally wanted to use (her church's preacher) refused to marry them because the groom was of a different denomination. She (and some others, I've heard) have blamed the failed marriage completely on the fact that they weren't of the same denomination. Perhaps we should take it a step further and only allow Christians of the same denomination to marry. That way the married couples will agree on everything. Well, at least one thing...maybe.
About a century ago it was frowned upon for people to marry outside of their faith. It was never illegal but there were certainly family and social pressures to marry another Catholic, Jew or whatever the case may be. It's completely changed since those days and no one seems to pay much attention to it but it would be a little different when one person is a believer and the other partner is not. If you take the passages in the Bible literally you get the impression that a Christian shouldn't marry an atheist. This wouldn't belong in the realm of legislation but rather in the traditions of the church. Of course I wouldn't agree with this although I must admit that as an atheist I wouldn't be a good match with an evangelical Christian wife. It just wouldn't work. What does happen sometimes is that a husband or wife who initially have opposing views eventually converts their partner to their point of view. At my high school reunion I got to talking with one of my old classmates and that's exactly what happened to him. He became a born again Christian and eventually converted his skeptical wife.
I'm actually quite disgusted with 2 Corinthians 6. Looking at the entire passage, what Paul is saying goes beyond marriage, he is quite clearly condemning Christians from even associating with unbelievers or people from different religions:
Quote:
14Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15What harmony is there between Christ and Belial[b]? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."[c]
17"Therefore come out from them
and be separate, says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing,
and I will receive you."[d]
18"I will be a Father to you,
and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."
Even the new testament God is all up for segregation.
I'm actually quite disgusted with 2 Corinthians 6. Looking at the entire passage, what Paul is saying goes beyond marriage, he is quite clearly condemning Christians from even associating with unbelievers or people from different religions:
Even the new testament God is all up for segregation.
oooooops, young man, the preservation of cultural varieties is quite something else than the random selection tolerated without but justified in the name of a whatever testament, ungodly in any case. imho.
i.a.w. (and not meant to sound condescending): don't let your inherited rasters get too rusty too early.
So which parts of the bible do the Christians want legally enforced, and which parts do they not? GAY marriage, no, INTER-FAITH marriage they're alright with.
How does one explain this inconsistency? My only explanation is that some Christians are selectively using scripture to promote their thinly veiled bigotry. But maybe Kdbirch or another believer can come explain why this discrepancy is legitimate.
So which parts of the bible do the Christians want legally enforced, and which parts do they not? GAY marriage, no, INTER-FAITH marriage they're alright with.
I think that most Christians pick and choose what to emphasize and what to ignore in the Bible. I suspect that if you were to give a comprehensive test to Christians around the world on what the Bible actually says the great majority would have just a basic knowledge of some of the main points and not even be aware of the significance of some of the more obscure passages. The Bible is a huge book and it's very difficult to read. Even biblical scholars argue among themselves about what certain passages are actually saying. To make matters worse, the Bible contradicts itself in many places. For example, in the famous story of Noah's ark there are two completely different and contradictory versions of which animals he supposedly took on board.
Opinions about Issues like Christians marrying non-Christians are gradually changing and have been for centuries.
Personally, I think this is a very good question. If one believes homosexuals should not marry since it is against the bible, then they must go the same route with who Christians marry. The NT is pretty clear that Christians are to marry Christians.
When I married an atheist, I was not yet a Christian. Six years into our marriage I became one. Made for some rough times, although my ex was as supportive as he could be, at times. Now, as a Christian, if I ever remarry, I believe it has to be to a Christian.
When I married an atheist, I was not yet a Christian. Six years into our marriage I became one. Made for some rough times, although my ex was as supportive as he could be, at times. Now, as a Christian, if I ever remarry, I believe it has to be to a Christian.
I think you'd have all sorts of problems if you married a heathen like myself so I agree with your point of view. A few years ago I happened to be at my Mother and Step Father's house in Montana for a visit at the same time that my Step Father was having a family reunion. There were probably twenty or so couples there and they got into this discussion about how they met their spouse. This is one really religious family and there were two of the men that I recall who had not been religious but became religious after marrying women from my Step Father's family. One of the guys actually got a little teary eyed when he talked about the good influence that his wife and relatives had had on him. I think that's fine but I would hate to be a blood relative of this family with my atheistic point of view. I believe it would cause major problems because they'd never be able to accept it.
To the OP: suppose the Church declares interfaith marriage illegal. How is it enforced...and what's the penalty for breaking the law? (It seems to me that you can't threaten people with eternity in hell--that one's been kind of overused).
To the OP: suppose the Church declares interfaith marriage illegal. How is it enforced...and what's the penalty for breaking the law? (It seems to me that you can't threaten people with eternity in hell--that one's been kind of overused).
Stoning comes to mind.
Also, your first question, from then on, when meeting someone new would be: "Are you a Christian?" If answer is "Yes", start fluffing your feathers and courting procedures (if such exists by Christian laws), if answer is "No", then run like hell.......
Works for me!
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A few years ago I happened to be at my Mother and Step Father's house in Montana for a visit at the same time that my Step Father was having a family reunion. There were probably twenty or so couples there and they got into this discussion about how they met their spouse. This is one really religious family and there were two of the men that I recall who had not been religious but became religious after marrying women from my Step Father's family. One of the guys actually got a little teary eyed when he talked about the good influence that his wife and relatives had had on him. I think that's fine but I would hate to be a blood relative of this family with my atheistic point of view. I believe it would cause major problems because they'd never be able to accept it.
