"Explain how the rituals and vows connected with Christian marriage ceremonies might influence the differing ways that couples approach marriage and divorce."

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Gavin Martin 11.1 11A        

                                             

Y11 Religious Studies Coursework 2: Marriage and Divorce

Question One:

“Explain how the rituals and vows connected with Christian marriage ceremonies might influence the differing ways that couples approach marriage and divorce.”

There are many reasons why people decide to marry. More than half of people who get married live together beforehand. The main reason why people get married is because they love each other deeply and wish to ‘concrete’ their relationship. Other reasons for marriage could be that the woman is pregnant and the parents don’t want the baby to have unmarried parents. The couple want to publicly celebrate their marriage in a ceremony. In Christianity there were sometimes (and sometimes still are) arranged marriages, this then would not normally be proclaiming love in front of God because in many cases the couple are not in love.

Christians normally have a set wedding procedure. This normally consists of: a vow made before God, rings are given and a cake is cut. The couple’s love is left in no doubt when they are reminded by the minister, priest etc. and it is not to be undertaken lightly. The bride’s father is given the honour of escorting the bride down the aisle to the vicar/minister/registrar and the groom; this is called “giving away” the bride. The Bride will most commonly where a white dress to signify purity. Although this tradition is continues today the significance is mostly gone. The Bride just thinks I have to have a white wedding dress, she just believes she has too most of the time.

During the marriage ceremony vows are said to seal the marriage in the eyes of the people there (the congregation). The marriage is not sealed before the eyes of God until the bride and groom “consecrate” the marriage. This is done by the couple having sexual intercourse together. The vows are very sacred to Christians and to God. They are until “death do us part”. There are large differences between Christian and Reception vows. The Christian vows are made for love, but all Reception vows are: if there is any legal impediment to the couple getting married. It even makes no mention of love whatsoever.

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Most Christians prefer to get married in a church. The main reason people get married in a church is because the church is the house of God. This is also to do with tradition and when they were young and saw weddings at their local church, they had probably presumed that they too would get married in a church. For some Christians it is impossible for them to get married in a church, this is because they have been married before and have divorced (without being given an annulment). That is when according to God the marriage never took ...

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