"Marriage must be honoured by all"

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Georgina Hayes 10r Religious Studies Coursework

Religious Studies

Part A Essay Question

“Marriage must be honoured by all” (Hebrew 13:4) Marriage is seen as a gift from God, and therefore should be respected by all Christians. Marriage is a sacrament, a very important promise, between the couple and God. If a man and a woman divorce, then they are breaking the promise that they made to themselves, and to God. By making a solemn vow in front of God, the couple are getting to know each other better, and getting to know God better. “But what I tell you is this: if a man divorces his wife for any reason other cause than unchastity then he involves her in adultery” (Matthew 5:32.) This quote refers to a lifelong commitment, which the couple promise when they decide to marry in a church. One of the key aspects of marriage is showing a lifelong commitment towards each other. Marrying in a church signifies the three-way marriage between the man, the woman, and God. Christians marry in a church because they choose to make their promises to each other in front of God. Christians marry in a church because they choose to make a promise in front of God. This is reflected in the marriage vows “till death do us part, according to God’s holy law; and this is my solemn vow…” Christian marriages are seen as the basis for a stable and secure family life and Christian traditions value family life very highly. The family is often seen as God’s plan for caring for individuals. The role of the family is has been and still is very important throughout Christianity. The role of parents has been to bring up their children in a stable, Christian environment, and this is said to be easier for a married couple, as they can be older Christian role models for the children.

Marriage is seen as a major life long commitment, “…marriage is a gift of God in creation, in which man and woman become one flesh. It is God’s purpose that the husband and wife shall be united in love as Christ is united with his church.” (1) This passage is referring to the idea of marriage being a lifelong commitment, and of Christ’s love for the church. If man and woman are united as one flesh by love for each other, as Jesus loves the church then the couple will be breaking their love for each other if that couple decide to divorce, and Jesus would not break his love for the church, and therefore couples should not get divorced, and should follow Jesus’ example. This is a common belief throughout Christianity which is often stated in the bible, “that is why a man leaves his father and his mother and attaches himself to his wife, and the two become one” (Genesis 2:24) This means that when a man and woman get married, they become one flesh that can never be separated. This quotation is the basis for the lifelong commitment that a couple are expected to show to each other if they decide to get married in a church, and to live according to God’s holy law.

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Marriage is not just seen as a sacrament of lifelong companionship, it is also seen as the proper place for sex.  For many Christians marriage is the only proper relationship within which to have children. This is because they believe marriage between two people provides a stable environment for children to be brought up in. Along with marriage, sex is also viewed as a gift from God, and should not be abused.  “Avoid immorality, any other sin that a man commits does not affect his body; but the man who is guilty of sexual immorality sins against his own body. ...

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