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Marriage and society trends
Marriage and 2 cultures
How society has changed marriage
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The purpose of this report is to investigate Christian marriage in the 21st century and the relevance it still holds today. Marriage is defined as the union of a man and woman in holy matrimony in a life-long, exclusive relationship between them as well as God. Christian marriage is believed to be a gift from God and it exists primarily to strengthen the relationship between the man and women and to create life. Despite the challenges in today’s society Christian marriage still holds relevance and is still important to many people. Church teaching about marriage have changed over time. It will demonstrate that Christian marriage is still relevant in the 21st century, but needs to adapt to current circumstances and society.
1. 0 Marriage
1.1 Marriage in the Old and New Testaments
The Old Testament and the New Testament talk about important and significant information about the sacrament of marriage. It talks about the expectations and beliefs of marriage.
1.1.1 Marriage in the Old Testament
Marriage in the Old Testament has many key aspects and expectations. Firstly, the male was the dominant member of the marriage, the source of income, in charge of feeding, sheltering and protecting his family and wife who looked after the household. The Old Testament says that married love was a part of God’s purpose in creating people. Love and marriage is not accidental and there should be no human interference (Danes & Danes, 1994). This is shown in the quote, “Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man,” from Genesis as it shows how God created women for man and that it is right and the purpose of the women. Key scripture references from the Old Testament are; Genesis 2:23...
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...s of conflict they become the presence and action of God in the world.
3.0 Conclusion
Overall, marriage in the 21st Century is very different from the way it used to be in many ways but still holds the core aspects and customs. Marriage in the 21st Century is significant and the married couple face many social challenges as a result of this sacrament as a result of wider social views changing. Marriage helps couple to strengthen their gospel values and their relationship. Also there are many expectations and rules relating to marriage in the Church and the religious ideals that are expected to be followed by a married spouse. The Old and New Testament hold much information about the importance of marriage and what marriage entails. Therefore, Christian marriage is still relevant in the 21st century, but it needs to adapt to current circumstances and society.
Marriage in Judaism is recognised as a very blessed tradition. This sacred bond is actually called a Kiddushin, which translates to ‘purification’ or ‘commitment’. The dedication of marriage demonstrates that the couple now have a select relationship and they are “one spirit in two bodies”.
Bill Cosby once said that, “For two people in a marriage to live together day after day is unquestionably the one miracle the Vatican has overlooked.” J.J. Lewis (1995-2009) This famous comedian could not have been more correct when recognizing that every marriage will face a multiple number of challenges and is often difficult. Couples, once married, must find a way to end any struggles in order for the marriage to be successful. Marital traditions have changed greatly over the centuries and due to this, the opinion of what an ‘ideal marriage” consists of has changed as well. When reviewing the document “On Love and Marriage” the author (a Merchant of Paris) believes that marriage should not be an equal partnership, but one that pleases the husband to avoid conflict. This can be clearly seen through an examination of: the social, and political environment of the late fourteenth century, and the merchant’s opinions on the area of obedience to a husband, and how to avoid infidelity.
For as long as we can remember, the idea that marriage is sacred, desirable, and even necessary has persisted in the western world. In a way, society has taught us that in order to live a normal, fulfilled life, one must find their soul mate, marry them, and spend the rest of eternity together. According to tradition, a perfect marriage is characterized by a husband that goes to work every day while the wife remains within the home cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the children. Tradition has further dictated that once the husband returns from work, the wife has dinner ready and the family sits down around the table to share a meal together. American literature is full of stories that both play on or challenge these traditional roles within a marriage. But, one might ask, does
Once upon a time marriage was a requirement of society and a value to many women who wanted a stable life. It stand as a commitment to their husband and to God. It remain a way to start a proper family in the eyes the Lord. It was what many mothers and daughters dreamed of. Now that, many generations have passed many people believe marriage is not valued and Divorce rates are higher than ever. Religion has also become optional and there’re many different religions to choose from. Cohabitation has also reigned over society one doesn’t need to wait till marriage. Now you are able to move in with the person you love at any point in life. Marriage had started as a first option to many but it has become the last. There are still reasons why marriage
Stephanie Coontz, author of The Evolution of Matrimony: The Changing Social Context of Marriage, writes that there has been more changes in marriage in the past 30 years then there was in the 3,000 years earlier. With these changes there are no religious or cultural exclusions. Coontz claims, “Right here is America’s Bible belt exist some of the highest rates of divorce and unwed motherhood in the country, and born again Christians d...
Web. 10 Sep. 2011. . “Marriage.” Judaism 101: Marriage. Web.
From the book of Proverbs, we are also told that God designed marriage and sex not only as a means for bringing children into this world, but also as God's appointed means for a man to find pleasure in his wife. In the New Testament, we are told that Jesus attended a wedding in Cana of Galilee and miraculously provided wine when their supplies were exhausted. The Apostle Paul also had a great deal to say about the covenant that God ordained between man and woman. Paul assumed that elders and deacons would be married and have bare children. Paul also encouraged younger widows to marry and he claimed the right as an apostle to lead a wife.
Fairfax, “Marriage is one of the core values of society. Almost 20 years ago, the well renowned black scholar and psychologist Dr. Na’im Akbar (1991) penned the following: ‘‘marriage is such an important lesson in manhood (womanhood) development. It is no wonder that every society requires some form of it’’ (p. 13).” This coincides with the values that I stated above that were considered important in my culture. Marriage is important to more that my culture obviously but in my culture there is always this well-known quote from the bible: “He who finds a wife, finds a good thing (NKJV Proverbs 18:22). That is basically religion and love in the same
Marriage is termed as a legitimate commitment or social establishment which unites two people mutually as husband and wife. The agreement ascertains privileges and responsibilities amid spouses, spouses and children and spouses and in-laws. Marriage is deemed to be a momentous union in every society. It is significant in terms of providing security, emotional support and fulfilling economic, social, cultural and physical needs. These needs are the natural cravings of young adults that drive them towards matrimony. It is a foundation that is based on personal responsibilities which form the backbone of civilizations.
These questions arise from our own desires as Christians to reflect a biblically sound attitude towards sexuality and relationships. That same desire to act according to biblical scriptures is subject to opposition from today’s culture and views about sexual relationships, gender, and roles. A new definition of marriage, sexual orientation, and sexual practices is challenging our relationship with God and our view of human sexuality. Bishop John Spong defines sex and its impact on relationships: “Sex can be called at once the greatest gift to humanity and the greatest enigma of our lives. It is a gift in that is a singular joy for all beings and enigma in its destructive potential for people and their relationships.” (Spong, 1988)
Marriage has existed longer than written history and there still a great demand. Over half of the adult population in the United States is married which consists of over 2 million people. At some point, two thirds of all Americans heterosexual or homosexual will vow to better or for worse till death do us apart. Despite, the recent decreased in the amount of people to get married, it’s still at a soaring 80 percent. Marriage is an integral part of who we are as humans but the real question is that because of evolutionary development or creation by God. These two belief systems play a fundamental role in the way we understand and live out marriage. The first view is evolutionary development which believes that marriage wasn't created by God and it was not originated in the beginning, however it was develop by society in the context culture. Therefore, concluding that marriage was a human institution invested throughout history as a way to carry out social roles. The second view would fall under the biblical view. Marriage is not of human origin, because it began with the Creator God. It was created by God from the beginning of history when He created the heavens and the earth . As the Creator of marriage, God has the right to tell us which rules should control marriage. Tim Keller affirms this in his book Meaning of Marriage; “Marriage is God’s idea. It is certainly also a human institution and it reflects the character of the particular human culture in which it is embedded. But the concept and roots of human marriage are in God’s own action, and therefore what the Bible says about God’s design for marriage is crucial.” Marriage is one of the most important institution in the world we living, however there is a...
Marriage is one of the oldest cultural institutions in the world. Its status has changed drastically over the years, and in the last few decades alone has gone from being a social expectation to simply an option for most people. In the 1920s, marriage was generally considered an expectation for all young women, lest they dry up like cacti before they bore children. Today, marriage is generally recognized as a commitment that may satisfy some, though many choose to forgo the process. The differences between the cultural perception of marriage in the “Roaring Twenties” compared to today have manifested themselves in many different ways.
There are varieties of passages in the Old Testament that discuss the metaphor of marriage for the relationship between God/Israel. In the Old Testament, God’s relation with Israel is portrayed as a relationship between husband and wife. The book of Genesis two discuss about the creation of man and woman. Genesis two, God created man and gave him everything in the Garden of Eden, except for the tree of knowledge. God put man in the garden to take care of it. Adam was alone so God made a woman by taking one of the ribs from Adam. This metaphor can be reflected as how God wants to have a relationship with Israel. In Genesis two, God created humans to be the object of His love and creation.
God intended for us to be united with the opposite sex since the beginning of time. The book of Genesis tells us: "God created man in his image, He created him in the image of God, man and woman, He created them. God saw what he had done and said, "This is good, it is not good that man should be alone."(McLachlan 5). Marriage is inherently good and pleasing to God. It was part of God's original plan for mankind. It is also shown that Jesus held marriage in great esteem, for it was at a wedding where he performed his first public miracle. Furthermore, it is Jesus who raises Marriage to a Sacrament of the New Law. Our Lord is also the one who told us that divorce was wrong. He says, "What God has joined together, no human being must separate."(Matrimony 1).
marriage is one of the most important institutions of the society. Each person in the