Do you try and get them to marry or how do you handle this or is it just the norm in Churches?
2007-05-02 04:22:20 · 18 answers · asked by Gypsy Gal 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Since churchs set the standards then why is it none of your business or do you not set standards anymore? So what is your job as a church and what it stands for?
2007-05-02 04:38:31 · update #1
my church doesn't have anyplace for them to live.
2007-05-02 04:26:29 · answer #1 · answered by Yahoo admins are virgins 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
What a heap of silly answers you have received to this question, the silliest ones being where the pastor will only marry the couple if they separate for a period of time before the wedding. What hypocrisy, he acknowledges that they have been living together, so why the facade. Marry them if they want, leave them to practice their faith in the church as an unmarried couple if they wish, but please refrain from the nasty attitude that some christians practice. As for my local Church, lots of unmarried couples attend, a lot of them elderly I might add, who have a loving and sexual relationship without being married, most have lost the partners they married when they were younger and don't see the need to marry their companion (mostly due to keeping money and property separate when they have families from previous marriages) and they are a great asset to the Church and it's social structure. There is also a gay couple who attend who are welcomed and accepted as part of the congregation. Our Church is a true Christian Church because God accepts and loves everyone, God is Love, he does not approve of the discrimination and hatred which a lot of so called christians on this site practice.
2007-05-02 05:06:45 · answer #2 · answered by Sam K 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
As for my daughter, she was living with her boyfriend with a baby in my house. And she wanted to get married in the Church.
The Pastor said he couldn't marry them if they were living together. They had two options, to separate before marriage or to go to the Justice of the Peace and be legally married. So, my daughter was convicted in her spirit, so they never had sex until after they were legally married at the Justice of the Peace. Then, she got pregnant again & after my next grandaughter, she got to be the Princess Bride at their Wedding at our church. Everything was done backwards, but she & her husband received Gods blessing, the Church blessing & the blessing of wedding guests, family & friends. And in the ceremony, they both admitted they had confessed Jesus Christ their Lord & Savior & they took of communion as part of the wedding ceremony.
My Church discourages living together. This is how they handled my family situation.
2007-05-02 04:31:35 · answer #3 · answered by LottaLou 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
None of them. It is not right. But in my church there was recently a couple living together and I confronted the pastor about it, he handled it in a shepherd's way, and one of them moved out.
I thank God things worked out like that. That the pastor can handle the flock.
2007-05-02 05:04:38 · answer #4 · answered by Old Hickory 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
If I were to offer to give you one million dollars a year for the rest of your life, AND you believed me, AND you said "OK, I'll take it." How would you treat me in front of your friends whenever you ran into me at the supermarket?
Would you run up and give me a hug and ask how I was doing and how my family is? Or would you and your friends walk over and piss on my leg?
IF and it's a big IF.... someone has recognized their need for a savior, AND they have repented of their sinful nature, AND they have accepted Christ as the Lord and Savior of their lives..... they won't piss on His leg.
Faith without works is dead.
Works don't save you - works is what naturally comes out of a saved person - it's the proof that you're saved. If you have a friend who is living with their boyfriend or girlfriend - they're not saved. They don't need for you to explain to them why God doesn't want them to live together - they need for you to explain salvation to them.
2007-05-02 04:41:34 · answer #5 · answered by teran_realtor 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There are many couples who are living together at our church. No one says anything to them about it, it is not our place to judge and they are adults and will have to answer to God, not us. The only time anything is said is when they decide to get married and go to our Pastor to ask him to conduct the ceremony...our Pastor will not marry anyone who is living together out of wedlock...he will tell them if they want him to conduct the ceremony that they need to seperate until the wedding because he will not feel sound about it otherwise...most couples love our Pastor and willingly accept his decision and seperate.
2007-05-02 04:29:38 · answer #6 · answered by stakekawa 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
What does "just living together" mean to you? Do they need a legal document...a piece of paper if you will...in order to be married in the eyes of God? Maybe they consider themselves to be married in the eyes of God and find a secular document doesn't necessarily help augment the relationship they already have together and with God.
2007-05-02 04:36:05 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I always kind of thought it was a good idea to live in together before marriage. I am not a Christian though.
2007-05-02 04:38:51 · answer #8 · answered by ☭ 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is sin... they need to move out or get married... i know most churches just ignore it, but thats just because sexual stuff makes them uncomfortable and they'd much rather keep the offerings coming and ignore sin
2007-05-02 04:28:03 · answer #9 · answered by big202b 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
One of the fellows living on my street had a live-in girl friend, I made fun of them and he died, now the girl has to work because she doesn't get his pension. The preacher of our church has a live-in girl friend, I left because you would think they could marry easily.
2007-05-02 04:37:27 · answer #10 · answered by Marcus R. 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I wouldn't know how many couples are living together that go to my church. It's not something that comes up.
But if they are, they know it's wrong. They may justify it in their own minds, but God sees all things .
2007-05-02 04:26:53 · answer #11 · answered by Misty 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋