What is Marriage?

[Jerry J. Fortin]

Divorce is a fact of life. It is a legal reality and that won't change either. Having the government change the definition of a word or legislating morality won't change these facts either. I think it is folly to involve government in these intimate details of a citizens personal choices.

[crazymf]

Yep. It all boils down to: Life is what you make of it.

[Higgly]

Personally, I think that the whole thing would be considerably simplified if we just looked at it as a class of contract (?) law, with certain rights and privileges recognized by government.

Sort of like a corporation or partnership, but with its own set of obligations, constraints and benefits.

Crazymf, this is not the greatest position from which to debate legal issues: "The trouble with the legal profession is that 98% of its members give the rest a bad name."

[crazymf]

Yeah I guess. But I'm not a lawyer. That's what I think about lawyers.

I don't debate on legal grounds. I can debate on electrical, emotional, dog training or musical grounds. Those I know about.

[mcqueen625]

I've heard a million times that according to Christianity "marriage is the union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others". Can anyone tell me where exactly this definition originates? Is it really how the Bible defines marriage? I was under the impression that the Bible defines marriage as the union of one man and any number of women greater than 0. I'm not sure where the definition of marriage appears in the Bible but I am fully aware of numerous men in the Bible who had several wives. Also, several Christian sects believe in polygamy, so which of the two definitions is the actual one?

That may be true but there is definite referals stipulating that man should not lie with man nor woman with woman. So I guess homasexuality is definite not something that is condoned in teh Bible, the Koran or any other religious texts.

Bottom line here is that the term "Marriage" is for the Christain faith a religious sacrament and the term predates the establishment of Canada as a nation and therefore Canada had no right to change a definition which they had no part in defining in the first place. If they wanted to call it 'Civil Union as did England then I could care less but in my opinion Canada has perverted the meaning of the term marriage by chainging the definition as defined by most religious faiths to include gays and lesbians. As far as I'm concerned they can tell me that they are married, but other than some paper they have they that states that it does not make it all right nor will I accept that it is a marriage.

[Who's Doing What?]

I couldn't care less what some RELIGION thinks the defintition of marriage is or should be.

Two people commit themselves to each other for life, they are married. Thats it thats all.

This is such a stupid debate. Tell me who is getting hurt?

This is all over someone not liking the idea of sharing the term "marriage" with gays. I ask you, who the hell are these people to say the term is exculsive to them anyway?

OOOO two gay guys got married.

"Bar the doors Maggie, there be a gay wedding coming down the street. Quick fetch me my squirrel gun and some rock salt."

"In the news today, a downtown church burst into flames during a gay wedding when the rings were exchanged."

Seriously how retarded is this.

Hell I don't want to get married but according to the law I already am. How stupid is it that two people who want to get married can't, when others have the very same title forced upon them.

[Adelle]

Bottom line here is that the term "Marriage" is for the Christain faith a religious sacrament ...

That is correct. It is also a Jewish, Muslim, Hindi, Budist and Wiccan sacrament, thought he details may differ. It is also a legal definition dictating, defining and protecting recognized rights and obligations under the law. This is the term that is being defined, or redifined, again. It isn't as if it is the first time this has been done. So, at a personal level, marriage can be what ever you want it to be but, in law, it is now defined as the union of two persons regardless of sexual orientation or religious blessing (ie. common law).

Remember, that which eventually became the holy sacrament of marriage was organically designed to protect property rights and lines of inheritance. A woman was a mans property passed from father to husband presumably with her virginity intact so that there wouldn't be any nasty (bastard) surprises at a later date. The husband could then insure that any child born of that woman was his prodigy and therefore entitled to his goods upon his death. Often these two people even loved each other, but that was usually a concern only for the lower classes who didn't have things like clear title of noble lineage, castles, fiefs and serfs to worry about (or, when the middle class came of age, hordes of wealth).

So, legally, socially and religiously, the concept of marriage has always been in a state of evolution.

Adelle

[Saturn]

I really just wanted to know what the Bible says about marriage. I am fully aware that everyone has his/her own definition. But I wanted to know whether the Bible really defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Really, I thought the religious were pulling my leg because as far as I know the Bible never defined it as one man and one woman. Does anyone know?

[Renegade]

I really just wanted to know what the Bible says about marriage. I am fully aware that everyone has his/her own definition. But I wanted to know whether the Bible really defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Really, I thought the religious were pulling my leg because as far as I know the Bible never defined it as one man and one woman. Does anyone know?

Maybe this will help: marriage