Posted on 07/02/2008 8:18:28 AM PDT by delacoert
Wedding customs of the faithful range from solemn to colorful
In the big picture of life, all weddings are the same — they're about two people joining their lives (and families) together.
But, of course, all weddings are a little bit different, too, based on the couple's background and preferences.
Those who opt for a civil ceremony might want a simple exchange of vows at the county courthouse or an elaborate gathering with the wedding party dressed in period costumes.
Protestant weddings also can vary, depending on the denomination, church and officiating clergy.
Some faiths (Catholic) have a lot of rules about how the service should look, while others (Muslim) can vary greatly depending on the couple's cultural background. Some weddings involve wine (Jewish), some involve fire (Hindu), and some faiths consider their wedding vows as enduring not just on Earth, but into the afterlife (Mormon).
Here's what Tri-State residents had to say about what weddings are like within their faith.
Catholic
Catholic weddings differ from Protestant ceremonies in a few key ways.
For one thing, they're usually longer, says Matt Miller, director of the Catholic Diocese of Evansville's office of worship.
A full Catholic wedding that includes Mass, Miller said, may last 60 to 90 minutes.
Typically, the couple and their wedding party sits and kneels along with everyone else during the Mass, then stands while exchanging vows.
Unless there are extraordinary circumstances that would prevent it, Catholic weddings always take place in a Catholic Church.
Often, Miller said, couples opt to show devotion to a saint during the wedding ceremony — perhaps by offering flowers before a statue of that saint. Mary is usually chosen, Miller said, because of "her example of selfless service and total giving over to another."
Because of the religious component of the wedding, the wedding processional includes not just the bride and her attendants, but also the priest and other ministers who officiate.
Jewish
Jewish weddings actually involve two separate ceremonies. The first is an engagement ceremony, followed by the wedding ceremony.
During each ceremony, the couple sips wine from a shared cup as a symbol of their union.
"They use sweet wine so that from now on, they will be sharing life's sweetness," said Rabbi Barry Friedman of Temple Adath B'nai Israel.
The back-to-back ceremonies are a modification of ancient Jewish custom in which the engagement ceremony — considered a binding arrangement breakable only by divorce — took place a full year before the wedding ceremony.
Jewish weddings also incorporate physical symbols of the couple's future life together.
During the ceremony the couple stands under a canopy called a chuppah which symbolizes their first shared home.
At the end of the ceremony, the groom breaks a glass under his foot. This action has many possible meanings, Friedman said, but it's often understood to represent both the destruction of the Jerusalem temple and the fact that life contains both sorrow and happy times.
Muslim
Muslims hail from many different countries, so their wedding customs can vary greatly depending on where the couple live.
"There's no particular 'Muslim wedding' because the culture is so diverse," said Bushra Saqib of Carmi, Ill., a member of the Islamic Society of Evansville.
For instance, Saqib said, in her native country of Pakistan, red is a popular color for brides, while Middle Eastern Muslim brides often wear white wedding dresses.
That said, there are some commonalities among all Muslim weddings.
Islam does not have clergy as some other faiths do, so weddings can be performed by any Muslim with good standing in the community.
Saqib's husband, Zahid, a physician, has officiated at a number of Muslim weddings.
Before the ceremony, the bride's family and the groom's family meet to come up with a marriage contract that both bride and groom will sign during the wedding ceremony.
The groom is required to provide his bride with a gift, Zahid Saqib said, and this is detailed in the contract. Other elements of the contract may stipulate the standard of living the husband will provide, the amount of housework the wife will do and where they will live.
"You can actually put down anything in the contract. It's up to the people to decide," Zahid Saqib said.
The bride should have her father or another man with good community standing give her away, and the wedding must include at least two witnesses.
Mormon
In the five-plus years that Sam Rogers has served as bishop of the Newburgh ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he's officiated at only a few local weddings.
That's in large part because of the church's beliefs about marriage.
The church teaches that the marriage bond can endure into the afterlife, but only if the couple have their marriage sealed in a Mormon temple. The church's ideal is for couples to marry and be sealed in a temple, and Rogers estimated that the vast majority of active Mormons opt to marry inside a temple. (Indiana has no Mormon temples, but Louisville, Ky., and St. Louis do.)
Rogers said the church does not reveal details of the sealing ceremony because of its sacred nature, and even among Mormons not everyone can enter the temple.
To qualify for temple admission, a person must answer questions posed by local church officials to determine if the person is living in accordance with church teachings. If the person gains the officials' approval, he or she receives a "temple recommend" that is valid for two years.
Those who marry in a local Mormon church typically must wait a year before being sealed in a temple, Rogers said.
Local church weddings are usually simple and relatively brief.
"It's a pretty low-key ceremony that we feel like invites the spirit to attend," Rogers said.
Hindu
Hindu weddings include many customs not seen in other faiths.
"Hindu wedding is different from other weddings," said Sushma Jain of Evansville, a member of the Tri-State's Hindu community.
The marriage may be arranged — Jain and her husband, K.C., have three daughters who all chose an arranged marriage — but tradition is shifting, and more and more young people opt to choose their own spouses.
The wedding takes place in front of a sacred fire that represents the deity Agni. Agni is also considered to be the principal witness to the ceremony. As part of the ceremony, the couple walk around the fire several times.
Another important part of the ceremony occurs when the bride's parents place her right hand in the groom's right hand as a symbol of the couple's coming together.
Hindu theology includes many deities, but at weddings worship is focused on Ganesh because he is associated with good luck and the removal of obstacles.
Among the other wedding traditions are several formal greetings exchanged by different members of the bride's and groom's families.
This custom, Jain said, shows that a wedding unites more than just the bride and groom.
"The wedding is not boy and girl. The wedding is between both the families," she said.
And you quit beating your wife when?
Please....
Christ’s Church is the body of believers. Christ is the final authority - the final priest.
What man-made, earthly organization could possible hold a candle to that?
I meet with other believers. We are Christian. The name of the denomination means nothing at all. I could be a member of the Church at Corinth, the Philadelphian Church, or a member of the body of worshippers at Thessolonica. I could attend weekly meetings at Lifeline Community, or Shadow Mountain, or Calvary Baptist, or Valley Assembly of God.
God knows the heart - He recognizes those who belong to him ... wherever they are. That is Church.
You belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Incorporated, but what matters is the heart and where you place authority. Is it in an earthly office, a title, a corporation? or is it in the final Priest, Jesus.
I can tell you...unequivocally that I have prayed about mormonism...and received the answer that mormonism is a cult.
I humbly agree.
Oo oo, wait a minute, give me a chance, I think I remember the answer to this one...
And if your assertion is that all Christian churches that believe in Him are His, then how come all the different beliefs? Some Christian churches have gay priesthood, some believe in works, some grace alone, some have women in the priesthood, some accept the importance of baptism, some not, & the list goes on & on. Why the scripture that not all that call Him Lord, Lord will be saved?
And if belief in Him was all that was necessary, then why was Paul called to Ephesus, Galatia, etc. to set those saints right on the doctrine that they were corrupting? Did he go there, look around, & say, you all believe in Christ, it's all good, carry on. Not hardly!
If denomination meant nothing, why were those who followed the Pharisees for example, encouraged to join His church? Could it be that there was more than just believing in Him? Reading the scriptures?
Christ set up ONE church, not several different ones w/ competing doctrines. Nowhere in the Bible does it say it wouldn't matter what church you belonged to. Quite the opposite in fact. So, w/ that being said, again, what answer did you receive as to which was His?
So then, I’ll ask you the same question. If you can receive answers to prayer & recieve that answer, what answer did you recieve as to which church was His, was true?
Christ was establishing his Church among the nations. It is the way he chose.
And if your assertion is that all Christian churches that believe in Him are His
Wait a minute, I never said all Churches believe in Him, I said all Christians believe in Him, and only God knows who is His.
Christ set up ONE church, not several different ones w/ competing doctrines
You are correct, and Christ promised that it would stand - that the gates of Hell would not prevail against it. You believe Christ's Church was taken from the earth. You believe it was corrupted and that it was returned through Joseph Smith. What you believe is not found in the Bible. It goes against the word of God. The Church of Christ is not an institution - it was never "lost," it didn't need to be restored. Christ's Church has been here since he established it - in the body of believers in Him.
While even demons believe in Him and shudder, what you must have is saving belief. You must believe that the atonement of Christ saved you from the penalties of your sin. If you do not have faith in the atonement and the resurrection of Christ, you are not one of His and you are not of His Church.
Look in your heart, brother. There is only one way to salvation - one narrow path. Do not place your faith in an istitution, don't put your trust in your own goodness. Do you have faith in Him, and Him alone? Then you are his.
Why not? It made my day.
“Look in your heart, brother. There is only one way to salvation - one narrow path. Do not place your faith in an istitution, don’t put your trust in your own goodness. Do you have faith in Him, and Him alone? Then you are his.”
Very good post CC.
I would add one thing, since you are speaking to a follower
of mormonism. Your faith must be in Jesus Christ’s payment
for your sin - the Jesus of the Bible. You cannot change who
Jesus is, who God is and then put your faith in that made
up thing. Faith is only as good as the object it is placed
in. Mormonism teaches a false Jesus Christ and a false
gospel. False, meaning not the one in scripture.
I know you know this CC. But others read and we should make
it clear. Especially to those who are used to using the same
words, but making them mean different things.
best,
ampu
Both the Protestant and Catholic versions must contend with the fact that other Biblical authors taught an inevitable apostasy. It would seem strange for such Biblical authors, including Peter, to teach something which Jesus here denies.
One must also notice that gates only prevail against something by keeping it out or by holding it in. It makes little sense for gates, which by nature keep inhabitants in or out of a place, to "prevail" by forcing something to enter is completely illogical. The Catholic and Protestant interpretations force an interpretation that isn't logical, namely, that gates prevail by forcing someone to enter or someone to leave. Gates, of course, serve no such function. Gates keep things in or out, but they do not force things to go in or to go out.
Prevail meaning to keep out
The word translated as "hell" in the KJV is actually Hades, the dwelling place of all departed spirits. For the gates of Hades to not prevail against them could mean that the gates would not be able to stop the church from entering therein. (By comparison, in The Gospel of Nicodemus the "gates" mentioned in Psalm 24 refer to the gates of Hades and the attempt made there to keep out Jesus in the period between his death and resurrection. [See The Gospel of Nicodemus, Part II, 6 in ANF 8:436-437.]) In other words, Christ’s Church, his disciples, would preach the gospel not only among the living, but also among the dead—not even the gates of Hades could keep them out.
In this context, Jesus gives Peter the sealing power to bind on earth and have it bound in heaven. For Latter-day Saints the word "bind" in Matthew 16:19 is synonymous with "seal." This passage has reference to priesthood authority to perform ordinances or sacraments, such as baptism, echoing the Shepherd of Hermas’ usage of the word "seal." When a baptism (seal) is performed vicariously for the dead by proper priesthood authority, the seal (baptism) is recognized in heaven. Thus, Joseph Smith explained, "there is a way to release the spirit of the dead; that is, by the power and authority of the Priesthood—by binding and loosing on earth."
As extreme as this interpretation may seem, this was not a foreign concept to early Christians. Clement of Alexandria (AD 160-215), among others, believed that the apostles of Christ preached the gospel to the departed spirits in Hades. "And it has been shown also…that the apostles, following the Lord, preached the Gospel to those in Hades. For it was requisite, in my opinion, that as here, so also there, the best of the disciples should be imitators of the master..."
Prevail meaning to keep in
Another interpretation is that "prevail" has reference to keeping inhabitants inside. In this thought, gates could only prevail against something that is already inside of them and not external to them. This interpretation would be that Christ was saying that His Church would soon be inside the gates of the spirit world alone because of apostasy on earth, but that the Church would later come out from the world of the dead and back to earth—that His Church would shortly be confined to the spirit world, held back by its gates, but that later, members of Christ's Ancient Church (such as Peter, James, and John) would come, by revelation, out from behind the gates of Hades to restore the gospel to the earth.
Both of the above readings are distinct possibilities. Both reconcile all the Biblical data.
Prevail meaning shut up against
A literal translation of the passage reads as follows:
"You are Peter or a small stone broken from a larger rock and upon the original larger rock I will establish my church and the gates of the world of spirts, or sheol, will not be shut up against my church or overpower the dead saints." Personal translation taken from Blueletter Bible and BYU Professor Wilf Griggs
In this context the passage could be Christ teaching that the spirits of the departed will have the chance to hear the gospel. This is supported by Peter's teaching about Christ's ministry to the world of spirits just prior to his ressurrection in 2 Peter 3:18-22
It's a deception of Satan.
All I can say to that is, Wow - just wow.
And the word for “Church” used in this passage is the Greek, ecclesia, those called out, the fellowship of believers, the kingdom of heaven on earth.
I don’t see where it has to be an LLC do you?
I heard last week that the average wedding in America now costs $28,000. The average. My niece was married last week, and I know the cost was nowhere near that much. Of course, the temple ceremony is free. She had a wedding luncheon for those who attended the ceremony, and the rest of the family. They had a reception that night. They got the place free because my brother works for the company that manages the properties. We helped with the flowers, I worked in the kitchen, slicing cheesecake and putting it on plates. My sister-in-law ordered the cheesecakes from Costco and sheetcakes from Costco with the colors of the wedding. We helped set up and clean up. My two nephews created the wedding invitations. It was a wonderful day. Note: Utah Mormon weddings are even different from everywhere else, it is cultural.
When I heard the price tag of an average wedding, I then did a bit of research. The emphasis is all on the wedding. Not much on the marriage. It costs $2500 to have a photo booth at the reception. It costs $1000 to create CDs of the couple's favorite music (to give away as gifts.) There's the gifts for all the people who come to the wedding. I found a site that will tell you the average price of a wedding in your area. Here's the one from Provo: In this area, 82% of couples spend less than the average wedding cost while 18% of couples spend more than the average.
OTOH, my cousin's daughter got married after living with her boyfriend for seven years. Their wedding cost over $40,000. It was at a vineyard in Northern California. It was fabulous, and they will spend the rest of their lives paying off the debt. (No one from my family went because my sister died a week or so before the wedding.) Anyway...
Christ will.
And what will Christ do to these young liars who got into the Temple by deviousness?
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