The Definition of Marriage

The Definition of Marriage

What is marriage?

That, today, is a huge question. The reason has to do with fair play, discrimination, and homosexuality. Canada and Massachusetts are in the middle of this question. The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts has just stated that the state must allow gay couples to get married and enjoy the same social, legal, and economic benefits that opposite-sex couple enjoy! The Canadian Supreme Court made a similar ruling early last year.

People all over this country are up in arms. Many wonder why.

The problem is that marriage has two definitions!

There is a secular definition and a religious definition. They are much the same, except that the religious definition adds the aspect of a holy state. A union created by God. Marriage in the religious community is a state created for the formation of a family and it implies children and the actions involved in creating children. This is a very special thing, a thing not to be sullied by same-sex unions.

The secular definition has nothing to do with a holy state, children or anything besides two people dedicating their lives to each other. This is 'married filing jointly', two people who choose to live together with a legal sanction. They get a license (e.g., permission to get married from the state) and then they get married.

The people who think of the religious definition, when presented with a gay couple wanting to marry, scream blasphemy! The people who think only of the secular definition, when presented with a gay couple wanting to marry say 'so what'.

Jeremiah 29:6.

Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease.

From IRS Publication 17

A marriage means only a legal union between a man and a woman as husband and wife.

So now we have a small, but vocal, group of people in the United States who want state and federal constitutions changed to include a definition of marriage that is only between a man and a woman. We also have another small, also vocal, group of people in the United States that want same-sex couples to enjoy the same status as opposite-sex couples (e.g. married couples). They want society to consider same-sex couple as married. In essence, they wan the secular definition of marriage to be a legal union between two persons living together in a committed relationship.

The question is whether or not there is a valid social reason to define marriage as only between a man and a woman. It would not be proper to alter our laws or constitutions for strictly religious reasons. I do believe in full separation of Church and state.

However I am also a member of the Clergy, as such, my definition of marriage includes God. Marriage is a holy state.

Hebrews 13: 4.

Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.

I would like to see all secular references to legally joined couples as Civil Unions. Those Civil Unions recognized by the church would be called marriages. Maybe we can start with IRS Publication 17 and the federal tax return.

AMEN