Posted on 08/19/2020 1:50:57 PM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege
Early Christians in the first through third century understood marriage to be a union between one man and one woman created by God as a consummated partnership described in Genesis 2. Early Christian leaders, such as the Apostle Paul, explained that marriage was more than just a union between two people. It was an act of worship that pointed to Christ’s sacrificial relationship with the church (Ephesians 5). Therefore, marriage was not about a contract or a financial engagement as had been the custom for centuries prior, but a sacred union that should reflect God’s love. Christ turned the accepted cultural norms about marriage on its head.
Later, in the fourth century, Constantine, the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity, instituted Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire. This act formalized Christian customs and grew the responsibility of the Roman church, which over time became formally responsible for performing weddings.
It wasn’t until the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century that the recording of marriages and establishing of rules for marriage became a function of the state. Martin Luther, the Catholic priest who initiated the Reformation in Germany said that marriage was a “worldly thing ... that belongs to the realm of government.” A similar opinion was expressed by John Calvin, his Swiss counterpart. Calvin and his colleagues reformulated Christian marriage by enacting the Marriage Ordinance of Geneva, which imposed “The dual requirements of state registration and church consecration to constitute marriage” as valid.
By the 17th century, many of the Protestant European countries’ governments were responsible for instituting marriage.
English Puritans who rejected the Church of England’s view of marriage and immigrated to America in the early 1600s, believed that marriage was a civil contract, not a religious ceremony...They also legalized divorce...
(Excerpt) Read more at huffpost.com ...
When you rewrite the rules.
You rewrite the rules.
Ping
Well, Protestants believe it is both a Holy union and one that must be recognized by the State.
Protestants believe more needs to be in place than Catholics ever did.
HuffPost. A great place for valuable takes on religion. /s
marriage is a trick invented by women to trap men....
Were it not for the Protestant Reformation, marriage would not be considered a civil institution today. Had Christians followed the early church’s example, marriage would never have been thrust into the realm of the government at all.
I don't believe that. For a Catholic or Protestant nation, marriage between one man and one woman provides a new generation of children that are best suited to be productive, law-abiding citizens. What government in their right mind wouldn't encourage such an institution, and regulate it so that it's the optimum model: one man, one woman, exclusive, and permanent?
+1
okay, now here’s another article explaining Luther’s take on marriage, for additional context, much more so than huffpost gives.
https://thecompassmagazine.com/blog/how-martin-luther-transformed-marriage
Such BS. Protestants hold marriage as holy as Romans do. The annulment facade and game is well known to the world.
Also, when you speak of Paul and others, you pretend that therefore was a Catholic doctrine.
The truth is that the reformation was an attempt to steer Christians back to original Christianity.
Your position is hollow and weak as long as annulment is allowed.
The HuffPost religion section has some gems. This being one.
“Where have all the good men gone?” — every HuffPo writer, ever
The criterion is that the article strokes Catholics at the expense of Protestants?
Keep fighting amongst each other. Satan is laughing behind the curtain.
Well, I must be a bad non-Catholic, then. I officiated the marriage of our grandson and his bride, even though they couldn’t get a license due to the covid crapola (and still can’t, three months later). In the eyes of God and the Christian witnesses via Zoom, they are husband and wife, according to scripture.
I wasn’t aware Zoom was in scripture.
Are you a Boat captain ?
“ It wasn’t until the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century that the recording of marriages and establishing of rules for marriage became a function of the state.”
Someone needs to tell the author that marriage was recorded and regulated by the state in Ancient Rome before Christianity even existed.
Wrong. Constantine issued the Edict of Milan which tolerated all religions, including Christianity.
This article has so many inaccuracies and false inferences, it's not worth fighting over.
“establishing of rules for marriage”
I read somewhere (can’t find it) that the Jews a very long time ago established marriage to prevent men from behaving like animals.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.