Why does marriage have to be between a man and a woman?

Question

Why is marriage between two men, or two women (or more, any combination) fought so vehemently by some people?

I feel that if two people (or more) want to get married, the let them. What harm will it do? What is this "sanctity of marriage" stuff? Why do you have to believe in god to get married?

christianity teaches to love and honor others, yet some do the exact opposite, when those others want to get married.

Most of the christians who have answered so far, dont really understand my question, I think.

"its adam and eve, not adam and steve" for an answer, doesnt really answer my question.

Im asking why god has to be the ultimate factor in getting married.

god should have nothing to do with getting married.

As for civil unions, thats like segregation all over again.

Answer 1

If you want the Christian answer and the one that God tells us in the Bible then here it is:

Romans 1:26-28
26: For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
28: And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
29: Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

There is more on my blog below.

Answer 2

Marriage has always been, at least by civilized people, a union of one man and one woman. It has worked in the Western countries for many centuries. You know the old saying, "If a thing isn't broke, don't fix it ".
If a man wants to live happily ever after with another man, that's fine with me, but don't call it a marriage. If he wants to marry three women, six men, and two bulls, no way. He can do whatever he wants with any or all of them, but it's not a marriage.
A real marriage is what my wife and I have, and have had for well over half a century. No other union can even come close.
Your other question of why you have to believe in God to get married doesn't make sense. I'm a non-believer, and am very happily married.
You can love and honor all you care to. Nobody is opposed to it. Love does not mean sex. I love my whole family even my little pooch.

Answer 3

I couldn't possibly agree more with you. I think that it is incredibly sad that because of people that claim that God created "Adam and Eve" and not "Adam and Steve" we are isolating people that should have entirely the same right to be recognized as a marriage as a traditional straight couple. Sincerely, I don't understand what religious conservatives lose by having their neighbors being a married gay couple. It is not like their heterosexual marriages are going to suddenly be less valid or they are going to be exposed to indecent behavior because somebody decides to love another person of the same gender. The fact that a person is narrow enough to not recognize the possibility that somebody else might love somebody of the same gender should limit that person in his viewpoint of the universe, but not limit those that decide to love a person of the same gender. It is exactly as if people that decide to not use a car suddenly were able to decide that people that do want to use a car should not be allowed to do so. They could state that God created "Adam and his legs" and not "Adam and a car" ...yes, maybe (though even this is debatable) in man's natural state, homosexuality is not a natural occurrence, but, even if it is, so what. We use cars, planes, clothes, computers, and neither of those are exactly "natural occurrences" that we can say. For all you religiously narrow minded people, find some better arguments than "God created Adam and Eve and not Adam and Steve" it is the oldest argument with the most amount of holes that I have seen in my life. If you do not agree with what makes other people happy (a gay marriage, riding a car, listening to heavy metal, eating broccoli), simply do not do it yourself and stop being such judgmental pricks ! Live and let live. Give the same rights to others that you would like to have for yourselves. Do put yourselves in the position of those who are being hurt by your discrimination.

Also, for those stating that gay marriage should not be allowed because it is more promiscuous or less stable, or less valid than a traditional heterosexual marriage, I say, give me the statistics to prove so! Can you prove that gay marriages would have a higher incidence of infidelity or divorce than traditional mariages? No? I thought so, so please, put up or shut up with this other imbecilic argument!

And, before anybody starts whining to me, no, I am not gay by any stretch of the imagination, I am very straight, but nowhere near being narrow ! I've just had it with all the B.S said by the religious right on the gay marriage issue.

Answer 4

God set some things as detestable, including holding sexual relationsips with children, family, animals, and people of the same sex. I understand that some people have a desire for someone of the same sex. I also understand that some people have a desire to steal, murder, and lie - but the desire doesn't make it right. Marriage was designed to hold together a family life. Families were meant to be made with a mommy and a daddy. Marriage is not just a fleeting moment of a feeling, it was designed so that a woman would leave the protecion of her father, a man would stop being a mommy's boy and a new circle would start. Need more?

Answer 5

It does not logically have to be between a man and a woman, but that has been traditional. I would restrict the word "marriage" to unions of that type, not because there is anything particularly wrong with homosexual unions, but simply as a matter of avoiding confusion in the nomenclature.
Marriage has important legal effects. Some states have allowed homosexual couples to file "civil unions", which are essentially the same as marriage as far as the legalities go. I support this.

Answer 6

Your very right but this is an attack on our "christian values", Marriage as defined by the bible is between a man and a woman, and the wording of the constitution also supports this view. If america was truly what it's supposed to be and what it claims, this would have never been a debate. It makes me sick everytime I hear about it. Its a big deal to this people who love eachother and getting married is important to them. It shows that america still has abit to go before we can call ourselves land of the free.

Answer 7

What we're talking about is seperation of church and state.
Marriage, while traditionally between a man and a woman, does not HAVE to be.
There are legal benefits conferred upon married couples that aren't upon civil unions - especially in the area of survivorship.


The bible (I'm Christian, so I don't know what the Torah or Koran have to say about it) says "Men who lie with men, and women with women are something detestible to God"
But that's between God and them - I have nothing to do with it.
Neither does the Constitution of the United States.
God will handle his on judgment day.

I do have the responsibility as a Christian to love all others.
To "do unto others as I would have them do to me".

If two people, regardless of gender, spend their lives in a committed relationship to each other - their gender shouldn't deny them the legal protections marriage provides.

The bill of rights says "All men are created equal", and therfore should be provided equal protection under the law.

I personally find homosexuality abhorrent.
I find adultery, racism, bigamy, and a host of other things abhorrent as well.

None of these factors prevent me from following my God given directive to love the man/woman unconditionally.

A racist deserves and should have equal protection of his/her right to express her beliefs, even if I'm totally against them.

Equal protection under the law - and it's Man's law we're concerned with here.
As I said - God will handle his when He sees fit.
I'll not presume to judge in God's stead.

Answer 8

don't you think it would be too awkward when we see a man marrying a person of the same sex? Yes, the bible teaches to love one another but the kind of love to have with different people must not always be the kind of love we have for a partner..There are different kinds of love. Anyway, there are parts of the world that two people of the same gender can marry and the society also tolerates that. So if you fel like marrying a man, go and multiply...:)

Answer 9

It was ordained by God. If someone doesn't believe in God and thinks that the morals therein are obsolete then I wonder why they would want to be married. Does it mean they love each other more if they are married?

If you say it is just so people will recognize how much you love them then that opens a whole bunch of other questions. If you really and truly love your golden retriever or rose bush shouldn't you be allowed to marry them? That also opens the door to saying that polygamy is okay. After all, you love them right?

Answer 10

God made us 2 b man & woman as a couple not as more not as another combo but 1 man & 1 woman that how it should b

o yay the last part well god didnt mean for it 2 b that way & 2 men or 2 women is just rong