Marriage and Divorce
Marriage and divorce may be approached in differing ways by a couple according to the vows and rituals they undertake prior to, during and after the wedding ceremony.
Marriage like family is an institution for all regardless of religious convictions. The basis of a marriage varies in different cultures; in the West...romantic love, while in other cultures, marriages are arranged by parents for political, financial and cultural reasons.
In the Western world, the Christian and Jewish communities consider monogamous relationships, those that occur between a male and a female, acceptable. Modern Christianity and affluent societies insist marriages should be strictly monogamous, (one man should only have one wife, and one woman should only have one husband.) In some religions it is believed marriages must remain exclusive until one partner dies or the marriage is annulled. Due to the ever increasing numbers of divorces and remarriages, the practice of having additional spouses consecutively (serial monogamy) is becoming ever more common. In Christian cultures, polygamy is regarded as immoral and adulterous. It violates one of the Ten Commandments, "Thou shalt not commit adultery." Polygyny, the state of practice of having more than one wife at the same time is widespread within certain cultures, i.e. Islamic societies in Africa and The Church of the Latter-day Saints (Mormons) in Utah, USA. Polyandry, the possession by a woman of more than one husband has never been recognized and is condemned by all major world religions.
People can effortlessly 'fall in' and 'out' of love with someone whom they are physically attracted to but physical attraction does not always lead to a relationship. The cliché 'love at first sight' is based on physical attraction but is it possible to be 'in love' on a basis of appearance? Emotional intimacy, commitment and communication are also needed in order to have a successful relationship, which is mutually fulfilling. During the formation of relationships, individuals undertake physical and emotional rituals i.e. engagement. Relationships develop in stages; the order in which they develop varies from couple to couple.
Prior to marriage, the relationship begin to materialize through courtship, ("going out.") At this stage the two people make a transition from being individuals to being a couple (boyfriend and girlfriend.) Stereotypically the male 'asks out' the female. The individuals interact with one another and continue going out if they are compatible with each other. As intimacy develops, the relationship progresses from being casual and inclusive, to exclusive. At this point, the two people have to negotiate getting both of their needs met, communication between the couple becomes increasingly important especially as conflict resolution skills will start making or breaking the relationship.
If the individuals are well matched, affection in public and private situations then occurs and a sexual relationship may begin. The Catholic Church and other Christian organisations do not promote pre-marital sex (Sex before marriage), as it fails to be the sign of the sacrament. They insist that only a lasting marriage union can provide the conditions for a sexually relationship which is truly blissful. Pre-marital sex has become increasingly common in recent years, possibly because of the following reasons; virginity is not portrayed as being important, contraception and education about contraception have dramatically improved, abortions are widely available, sexual promiscuity is often encouraged by the media and less people follow the teachings of the Church. However, due to more people being sexually active before marriage, sexually transmitted diseases are at an all time high, more children are born into single parent families mainly those of teenage parents and divorce rates have risen. So is pre marital sex acceptable? Some Christians would agree sexual intercourse between a couple that love one another and intend to create life together is morally acceptable, even though Jesus condemned sex outside wedlock. Christianity teaches that sex is a beautiful gift, which expresses deep loving between two people but demands responsibility, commitment and total love. The Church argues that only married couple can fulfil the conditions for an ideal sexual relationship but this profound love can also be found between unmarried couples. I believe that although marriage provides the perfect environment for a responsible sexual relationship, unmarried, committed couples can also fulfil the ideal, as long as they are exclusive and are willing to accept the consequences of their actions i.e. Parenthood.
Marriage and divorce may be approached in differing ways by a couple according to the vows and rituals they undertake prior to, during and after the wedding ceremony.
Marriage like family is an institution for all regardless of religious convictions. The basis of a marriage varies in different cultures; in the West...romantic love, while in other cultures, marriages are arranged by parents for political, financial and cultural reasons.
In the Western world, the Christian and Jewish communities consider monogamous relationships, those that occur between a male and a female, acceptable. Modern Christianity and affluent societies insist marriages should be strictly monogamous, (one man should only have one wife, and one woman should only have one husband.) In some religions it is believed marriages must remain exclusive until one partner dies or the marriage is annulled. Due to the ever increasing numbers of divorces and remarriages, the practice of having additional spouses consecutively (serial monogamy) is becoming ever more common. In Christian cultures, polygamy is regarded as immoral and adulterous. It violates one of the Ten Commandments, "Thou shalt not commit adultery." Polygyny, the state of practice of having more than one wife at the same time is widespread within certain cultures, i.e. Islamic societies in Africa and The Church of the Latter-day Saints (Mormons) in Utah, USA. Polyandry, the possession by a woman of more than one husband has never been recognized and is condemned by all major world religions.
People can effortlessly 'fall in' and 'out' of love with someone whom they are physically attracted to but physical attraction does not always lead to a relationship. The cliché 'love at first sight' is based on physical attraction but is it possible to be 'in love' on a basis of appearance? Emotional intimacy, commitment and communication are also needed in order to have a successful relationship, which is mutually fulfilling. During the formation of relationships, individuals undertake physical and emotional rituals i.e. engagement. Relationships develop in stages; the order in which they develop varies from couple to couple.
Prior to marriage, the relationship begin to materialize through courtship, ("going out.") At this stage the two people make a transition from being individuals to being a couple (boyfriend and girlfriend.) Stereotypically the male 'asks out' the female. The individuals interact with one another and continue going out if they are compatible with each other. As intimacy develops, the relationship progresses from being casual and inclusive, to exclusive. At this point, the two people have to negotiate getting both of their needs met, communication between the couple becomes increasingly important especially as conflict resolution skills will start making or breaking the relationship.
If the individuals are well matched, affection in public and private situations then occurs and a sexual relationship may begin. The Catholic Church and other Christian organisations do not promote pre-marital sex (Sex before marriage), as it fails to be the sign of the sacrament. They insist that only a lasting marriage union can provide the conditions for a sexually relationship which is truly blissful. Pre-marital sex has become increasingly common in recent years, possibly because of the following reasons; virginity is not portrayed as being important, contraception and education about contraception have dramatically improved, abortions are widely available, sexual promiscuity is often encouraged by the media and less people follow the teachings of the Church. However, due to more people being sexually active before marriage, sexually transmitted diseases are at an all time high, more children are born into single parent families mainly those of teenage parents and divorce rates have risen. So is pre marital sex acceptable? Some Christians would agree sexual intercourse between a couple that love one another and intend to create life together is morally acceptable, even though Jesus condemned sex outside wedlock. Christianity teaches that sex is a beautiful gift, which expresses deep loving between two people but demands responsibility, commitment and total love. The Church argues that only married couple can fulfil the conditions for an ideal sexual relationship but this profound love can also be found between unmarried couples. I believe that although marriage provides the perfect environment for a responsible sexual relationship, unmarried, committed couples can also fulfil the ideal, as long as they are exclusive and are willing to accept the consequences of their actions i.e. Parenthood.
