Because marriage is a picture of how Christ loves his church, If its not theologically accurate, then its not marriage. In a real marriage the world looks at how a man loves his wife, and how he honors and protects her and it gets a glimpse of how Christ treats his bride, the church.
I think you are confusing marriage at large and marriage within the church. If a couple wants to get married in a church and live by the church's image of marriage, then that is good for them. I don't know, but I would guess people who are deeply religious have better marriages on the whole. Thats not saying church goers as a whole do, but those who take marriage very seriously--I guess they have better marriages because they are more likely to put a ton of work into their marriage because they value it so much.
That is good for them, they will reap the rewards of such. But that is based on their individual beliefs. Hindus get married, muslims get married, buddhists get married, they all certainly have the right to get married. Plus different christian faiths have different views of marriage. Marriage exists as a legal contract separate from the spiritual covenant it is for some people.
I don't want to dwell on history, but the simple fact is the family institution and marriage existed before the time of Christ. In fact Jesus's parents were married (though apparently not consummated).
Marriage is a covenant between a man and a woman under God and before the eyes of man. There is theology there. God never broke His covenant relationship with his people. When we pervert marriage we pervert that picture of God and His character and nature.
You cant become one flesh or have children with someone of the same sex. It perverts the Biblical pattern of life.
Same comments. Your marriage is much more than a legal marriage, its a spiritual convenant. But non-Christians, athiests, and other types of Christians who have different views of marriage also get married. Under our Constitution (First Amendment), there can be no state sponsored church. A purely state marriage may not be as strong as a religious marriage (at least where the people in the religious marriage take the religious part serious), but thats not the state's job. Your church emphasizes the importance of marriage to its followers, the state is not a church, it has a limited purpose.
Marriage is an institution of the church and not the state, and its disgusting that we allowed the state to exceed its design and purpose and get involved in areas that it has no say in, like marriage and education and assisting those in need, but that doesn't change what it is.
Marriage would be A LOT weaker without the state. Anybody could leave the marriage with no financial consequences without the state. The state can take your money from you to pay alimony. Marriage can protect family members like ex-spouses and children from the marriage. The state getting involved in marriage and making special provisions also makes it less likely that two married people are likely to have financially opposite interests and break over it as it treats transaction between people differently. Marriage without the state involved is a very weak because the only consequences would be ones faith in religion and some people just don't care about religion.
It only shows the sinfulness of the church and the fact that its not been doing what it should have been for the last 40 years. But when the church is filled with false converts, due to the likes of Charles Finney and his predecessors with his manipulation techniques to get a decision for Christ, and a false modern day gospel. You get a church of 75% or more of self deceived goats playing church and practicing a form of religion based on moralism.
There not slaves to Christ, and there not serving Him. Instead they are more worried about building there personal little empire, there little suburban mega church based on man centered concepts like Bill Hybels and Rick Warren and willing to compromise on the preaching of the word and bringing in entertainment based worship to pacify the goats for 45 minutes.
Nobody argues that if people feel a strong marriage is part of their spiritual well being that they are more likely to have a strong marriage. Its not gay people's fault that others would rather have individual freedom rather than responsibility.
The culture has invaded the church and for the most part all but replaced it, and thats why churches are dying. People don't want the garbage the church has been selling for the last 40 years. Christians want Gods word proclaimed boldly, clearly and accurately, not sugar coated garbage, from week kneed men that spend there time watching movies and television rather than studying the word of God. They want leaders that live there faith and are willing to get there hands dirty.
“Give us some men, that know and who will declare the truth and who stand with Athanasios and Poly Carp and Calvin and Luther and Whitefield and Edwards, and who will declare from the house tops that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation” Steve Lawson
We have a bunch of Churches in Southern Maryland and if they were obedient in the last year, you should of had at least one person a week, from each of them knock on your door, or ask you on the street if you were to die tomorrow where would you spend eternity? Instead, your probably lucky if anyone ever asked you that or handed you a gospel tract.
Sorry for the complaining on the state of the church, but if it was healthy and alive, we wouldn't even be talking about what marriage is, people would know! The state would not be involved, nor would we have officials promoting what goes against conscious, as they would be afraid to be voted out and would fear being looked upon as deviants themselves, for even considering such a thing.
If you are upset with people's spiritual well being, then convince them to adopt your beliefs, that is not the government's fault and its not the government's fault that people went away from the church. The government's job is not to spread religion--religion needs to stand on its own merits.
You also have a better of people at large than I. While I think people would be better off bracing responsibility when it comes to marriage, I think they will act weakly and generally chose individual freedom. People want easy divorces--which is maybe is not a good thing, but it is what the people want. I think the government responded to people's desire for easier divorces, not created that desire and lead the people. Like I said, if that bothers you, do a better job educating people about your religion and responsibility and family, but legislating your concepts of morality and marriage unto others is NOT the way to accomplish what you hope to accomplish.
If he/she/it can consent, the Govenrment should get the eff out of it!
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