Marriage is a religious institution from all ancient civilizations. The governments have taken advantage and control of it, but it is and was a religiously instituted ceremony. How can the government make them a unit, and why do you submit to it?
2006-10-28 18:08:07 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
ok, ok, i'm a dope.
2006-10-28 18:23:54 · update #1
*raises hand* I'm married.
The government says "you are now legally contracted to remain together in fidelity for the rest of your natural lives." They have the power to legitimize contracts so... that's how the government can "form unions".
I didn't "submit" to any government... I went TO the government and ASKED to be married. I didn't "give in" to government pressure.
I got married for many reasons. Symbolism. Love. Family. Legal protections. Health insurance. Also I got married so that I would be able to go with my husband wherever he was stationed, but that was before he injured his back and had to be medically discharged from the Air Force.
2006-10-28 18:09:33 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
How can the government make them a unit? Heh. You kinda need to take a look at Webster's here and take a look at the definitions of the words you're tossing around there. There's nothing in any definition I can find of marriage that mentions anything about religion.
Marriage: n. 1. the state of being married. 2. the act of marrying; wedding. 3. a close union.
Married: adj. 1. being husband and wife. 2. having a husband or wife. 3. of marriage. n. 1. a married person.
Marry: vt. 1. to join as husband and wife. 2. to take as husband or wife. 3. to unite.
All marriage is is a ceremony uniting a pair as a legal couple. Doesn't say anywhere in the definition that it has to be a religious one. Frankly, if you ask me, marriage came around long before religion as mating has always been a human necessity in order to keep the species going.
Therefore, long as there've been people, there's been the need for people to mate, and as long as there's the need for people to mate, there's been the need for the dominant parnter(according to sociologists), which is obviously the male, to control the other partner, so she mated with him and gave him more kids than any other male, which, well, led to marriage, in some form or another.
But to further my arguement, let's take a look at the definition of religious institution.
Religious: adj. 1. devout; pious. 2. of or concerned with religion. 3. conscientiously exact; scrupulous.
Institution: n. 1. an instituting or being instituted. 2. an established law, custom, etc. 3. a) an organization having public character, as a school, church, bank, or hospital b) the building housing it. 4. a person or thing long established in a place.
Don't see any ties to marriage there, either. Pretty much, marriage is instituted when two people get married. It's not an organization or building, though marriage has been long since established and somethng people have done for...well, countless millennia.
As far as definition two, don't know how marriage is a law. I don't know of any law, religious or secular, that says anything about every man and woman has to get married in their lifetime. It is, however, a custom, and an ancient one at that.
Really, all that "religious institution" means is that religion simply took the custom of marriage and instituted it into its myriad of practices. So it's perfectly legal and moral for atheists to get married, just as it is anyone else.
The way you asked this question made me wonder if you might think that atheists, as having no belief in God or any other deity whatsoever, have no right to get married if you think that you can't be married without religion as it appears you do. Does that mean atheists rank up there with gays, who can't get married legally as such a union appears to offend so many people who think that homosexuality goes against God and thusly can't be a religious union without God's approval?
What about polygamists? I know it's an illegal practice in America, but there are still places in the world where it's legal. Marriage is defined as a union between a man and a woman, at least as far as the dictionary's concerned. Probably will be redefined in a few years if you ask me, but that arguement aside, seriously, what about polygamists who have multiple spouses? Does that mean they can't marry because having more than one wife or husband is against God and thusly can't be a religious marriage without God's approval?
(And yes, I'm aware that polygamy was condoned in the Bible in the Old Testament, so let's not go there, eh?)
Seriously, all people have the right to get married. Or not, if they don't want to. There's no law anywhere saying people have to get married, let alone in a church. Marriage is just a ceremony of uniting a couple as a family that most people from all walks of life take part in, not just religious people. Religion in no way has a monopoly on marriage, never has, never will.
2006-10-29 22:00:27 · answer #2 · answered by Ophelia 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am a married atheist.
Marriage is a human institution, not a religious one. I am married because I love my Husband and wish to live my entire life with him. When you are in love with someone you don't keep it a secret do you? Marriage is a declaration to the world that you are in love and wish to spend your lives together.
Besides, churches don't marry people, justices of the peace don't marry people - TWO PEOPLE MARRY EACH OTHER.
2006-10-29 20:09:15 · answer #3 · answered by catalamity 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm married, but if I had been an atheist at the time, I doubt I would have married.
Secular marriage is a set of legal rights and obigations that has nothing to do with religion or gods.
2006-10-29 01:11:01 · answer #4 · answered by lenny 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I'm a Christian and believe that we are blessed through our marriage, however for an atheist it would be for the legal standpoint that they would marry. Without the benefit of a legal marriage, there are no rights or benefits for either party should children be born or a death occur.
2006-10-29 01:20:27 · answer #5 · answered by KieKie 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The government's term is not necessarily defined the same way as the Christian term. The State has a piece of paper. The Church has a promise to God. Which one carries more weight?
2006-10-29 01:11:41 · answer #6 · answered by ccrider 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm atheist and married. And you are living in the bronzed age. Marriage in today's world is a legal contract, much more like a business arraignment than anything else.
2006-10-29 01:10:03 · answer #7 · answered by trouthunter 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Love is blind and marriage is the eye opener.
Marriage is an institution. Who wants to be in an institution?
I attributed my last divorce to marriage.
Please don't tell my wife I wrote this or she will kill me!
2006-10-29 01:10:33 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Although I am not an Atheist I would like to respond.
For people to share benefits, insurance and such a legal and binding paper is usually necessary.
2006-10-29 01:10:32 · answer #9 · answered by Epona Willow 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
becaust the legal definition of marriage is a binding contract between two people.
and it is needed in a legal sense to have rights to the things that are owned by a partner if they happen to die.
2006-10-29 01:12:36 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋