What Is Marriage?

Marriage is a covenant of love between a man and a woman which is expressed by each one surrendering their own life, and offering it to the other to form a common life (Matthew 19:5-6). Since life is physiological, the only way they can unite their lives is by uniting their physiologies. Among all the physiologies we have, the only physiology in which two human beings can unite is in reproductive physiology. Since union of reproductive physiology is only possible between a man and a woman, marriage is only possible between a man and a woman. Furthermore, since conjugal union is reproductive in nature, willingness to freely accept children is the hallmark of marriage and marital love. Furthermore, to put barriers to reproduction by contraception is to go against the very nature of the act and their marriage covenant. Furthermore, since conception is the fruit of marital love expressed through unitive love, artificial insemination, in-vitro fertilization and cloning procedures dehumanize human reproduction by taking the act of unitive love out of it and converting it into a purely cellular process. This devalues the understanding of unitive love in marriage, thereby devaluing the meaning of marriage itself. This causes grave hurt to the institution of marriage which is the very foundation of society.
 
I agree with you, but must admit the discussion of ''artificial insemination, in-vitro fertilization and cloning procedures'' is very debatable. I would like to know more Christians opinions on this.

If my wife had valid problems I would opt for science. Plain common sense.
 
I agree with you, but must admit the discussion of ''artificial insemination, in-vitro fertilization and cloning procedures'' is very debatable. I would like to know more Christians opinions on this.

If my wife had valid problems I would opt for science. Plain common sense.

Good point. Cloning is a different animal from in-vitro and artificial insemination, but these are usually not substitutes for the "unitive act of love". Rather, they are measures taken when a couple is unable to conceive the normal way. Such measures are expensive, uncomfortable, stressful, and results are not guaranteed. It is actually, in my mind, an affirmation of their desire to procreate. I suppose an issue would be, are they lacking in faith in resorting to these measures, or, are they perhaps refusing to accept God's will in their particular case, refusing to accept that He has not granted them children? These are not rhetorical questions, but honest questions worth considering.
 
Have we forgotten the story of Abraham and Sarah? Yes, God came right out and promised them a son. But even with that promise, Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham to plant her seed. As a result, Ishmael arrived leading to strive and conflict in the home dividing it, and even more when Isaac arrived. Our will is not the same will as the Father's. Our will, always has to be his will. He's the master of creation. Who are we to play God? As far as I'm concerned, invitro is just another further erosion of placing faith in ourselves, instead of with God. If God was the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, why can't we trust him to provide a child to the childless? Or do miracles just happen in the bible? The will of the flesh (Ishmael) will never be a substitute for the will of the Lord (Isaac). Sorry, I'm a pretty moral absolute guy.
 
Of course, the Lord also blessed Ishmael's descendants as well even if he was the result of the flesh. Genesis 21: 17-18
 
Marriage is a covenant of love between a man and a woman which is expressed by each one surrendering their own life, and offering it to the other to form a common life (Matthew 19:5-6). Since life is physiological, the only way they can unite their lives is by uniting their physiologies. Among all the physiologies we have, the only physiology in which two human beings can unite is in reproductive physiology. Since union of reproductive physiology is only possible between a man and a woman, marriage is only possible between a man and a woman. Furthermore, since conjugal union is reproductive in nature, willingness to freely accept children is the hallmark of marriage and marital love. Furthermore, to put barriers to reproduction by contraception is to go against the very nature of the act and their marriage covenant. Furthermore, since conception is the fruit of marital love expressed through unitive love, artificial insemination, in-vitro fertilization and cloning procedures dehumanize human reproduction by taking the act of unitive love out of it and converting it into a purely cellular process. This devalues the understanding of unitive love in marriage, thereby devaluing the meaning of marriage itself. This causes grave hurt to the institution of marriage which is the very foundation of society.

I understand your logic, but nowhere in the Bible does it state that contraception of any kind is forbidden. The reasoning behind your conclusion is based on a line of logic that seem plausible but it cannot be taken as absolute biblical fact. I know some denominations have doctrine regarding this matter, but we need to be careful not to put doctrine in place of scripture.

As for cloning - I havnt heard of any human clones just yet. All the animal ones have died early on in their development.

There are many forms of contraception, not only the barrier methods used today, and the bible says nothing about them at all. Yes they were around in the biblical times as well, we are not so clever as we think we are today. And life is not just physiological, it is spiritual as well as emotional. We are not just biotic beings, walking around mindlessly without a spirit.

When it comes to the actual making of babies, remember it is God who creates not man. We may have the knowledge through science to help those who are struggling for children, but at the end of the day it is God who creates in the womb not man. The second those cells divide is the second the grand master of creation starts His work. By making the claim you have sugggested, you imply that babies which are fertilized by artificial means are less than human, because God did not create them. This is very dangerous theology / speculation which can hurt many people. We are all created in the image of God, no matter how the actual fertilization takes place.

Mat 19:5
and said, For this cause a man shall leave father and mother and shall cling to his wife, and the two of them shall be one flesh?
Mat 19:6
Therefore they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.
No mention of contraception or artificial fertilization here.

We need to base doctrine on scripture, not scripture on doctrine (eisogesis)
 
Have we forgotten the story of Abraham and Sarah? Yes, God came right out and promised them a son. But even with that promise, Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham to plant her seed. As a result, Ishmael arrived leading to strive and conflict in the home dividing it, and even more when Isaac arrived. Our will is not the same will as the Father's. Our will, always has to be his will. He's the master of creation. Who are we to play God? As far as I'm concerned, invitro is just another further erosion of placing faith in ourselves, instead of with God. If God was the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, why can't we trust him to provide a child to the childless? Or do miracles just happen in the bible? The will of the flesh (Ishmael) will never be a substitute for the will of the Lord (Isaac). Sorry, I'm a pretty moral absolute guy.

Hi Ryan, get to know some couples who are struggling for childen - you may just change your viewpoint on this.
 
Good point. Cloning is a different animal from in-vitro and artificial insemination, but these are usually not substitutes for the "unitive act of love". Rather, they are measures taken when a couple is unable to conceive the normal way. Such measures are expensive, uncomfortable, stressful, and results are not guaranteed. It is actually, in my mind, an affirmation of their desire to procreate. I suppose an issue would be, are they lacking in faith in resorting to these measures, or, are they perhaps refusing to accept God's will in their particular case, refusing to accept that He has not granted them children? These are not rhetorical questions, but honest questions worth considering.

Hi Rumely, I think the key to your comment is the word 'faith'. In scriptures we see many people who are not healed due to their lack of faith or complete absence of faith. If I get very sick and have to have major medication to save my life, what will I do? I will obviously pray, but I will still go to the doctor to get well. The same applies to those who go the route of invitro etc. They turn to doctors for help.

If a person says these procedures are evil, not God's will etc then I would ask them, do they go to doctors for help when they get sick. The principle is the same, God may not heal us through miracles, although He can, but he has created doctors for our good. Maybe He created doctors because we do lack faith, others wise half the human race would not make it past childbirth. Just some thoughts on the matter.
 
I agree with your post for the most part, but when you said "We are all created in the image of God, no matter how the actual fertilization takes place." Be careful, as we found in Genesis 6 that the 'sons of God' or angels, came down and slept with the descendants of Adam because they were beautiful. So, not ALL things are created of God, or else we wouldn't see Matthew 15:13 "But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up." So apparantly, there ARE some things that weren't 'planted' by God.

As far as marriage is concerned, it is my belief that by reserving yourself until God leads you to your mate, the one who will be ONE with you, the same you can step out on FAITH with and trust that the marriage is of God, that you wil be led to the one for you. Our society teaches our kids and parents that it is 'OK' to have sex 'outside of marriage', but they are basing marriage off of what the federal government declares marriage to be. In the world today we find that it is okay for gay marriages to be performed in a church, whereas the scripture teaches that it is abominable to even consider the thing. So I have little faith in the judgement of man and his government.

As parents, we have a duty to our children to learn the proper path found in Gods divine Word so that we may raise them up in the way. If we don't know the Way, and they are taught accordingly, we become just as Jesus declared to the Pharisees--blind leading the blind until we both fall in a ditch. Sex very well could be the 'act' of marriage, in OT scripture we see men 'taking' a woman for a wife and the subsequently 'knowing' her. Soon after they are given children by Yahweh God as found in Psalm 127. That was also in a time when towns and villages would shun those that fell outside of the Way as well, not like today's world where good is called evil and evil is called good.

My prayers be with all of you for understanding of the subject by Yahweh God. Amen

S.
 
I agree with your post for the most part, but when you said "We are all created in the image of God, no matter how the actual fertilization takes place." Be careful, as we found in Genesis 6 that the 'sons of God' or angels, came down and slept with the descendants of Adam because they were beautiful. So, not ALL things are created of God, or else we wouldn't see Matthew 15:13 "But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up." So apparantly, there ARE some things that weren't 'planted' by God.

As far as marriage is concerned, it is my belief that by reserving yourself until God leads you to your mate, the one who will be ONE with you, the same you can step out on FAITH with and trust that the marriage is of God, that you wil be led to the one for you. Our society teaches our kids and parents that it is 'OK' to have sex 'outside of marriage', but they are basing marriage off of what the federal government declares marriage to be. In the world today we find that it is okay for gay marriages to be performed in a church, whereas the scripture teaches that it is abominable to even consider the thing. So I have little faith in the judgement of man and his government.

As parents, we have a duty to our children to learn the proper path found in Gods divine Word so that we may raise them up in the way. If we don't know the Way, and they are taught accordingly, we become just as Jesus declared to the Pharisees--blind leading the blind until we both fall in a ditch. Sex very well could be the 'act' of marriage, in OT scripture we see men 'taking' a woman for a wife and the subsequently 'knowing' her. Soon after they are given children by Yahweh God as found in Psalm 127. That was also in a time when towns and villages would shun those that fell outside of the Way as well, not like today's world where good is called evil and evil is called good.

My prayers be with all of you for understanding of the subject by Yahweh God. Amen

S.

Just some scripture for thought. When I was speaking about created in the image of God - I was referring to Mankind. Every single person on earth is created in the image of God.





Gen_1:26


And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all the creepers creeping on the earth.
Gen_1:27


And God created man in His image; in the image of God He created him. He created them male and female.




Gen_9:6


Whoever sheds man's blood, his blood shall be shed by man; for He made man in the image of God.

God created all things, nothing exists which He did not create. Yes He even created the fallen angels, although they were not created evil, they became evil.

Col_1:16

For all things were created in Him, the things in the heavens, and the things on the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things were created through Him and for Him.

God bless
 
Hi Ryan, get to know some couples who are struggling for childen - you may just change your viewpoint on this.

Dear friends of ours, both had children as a result of in vitro. We saw the emptiness and desire to have kids and the financial costs to conceive. I am not saying the children are not a blessing and children of the God Almighty. I am just saying the situation is less then ideal, and I don't believe that is what God intended. Does my heart pour out for people who cannot conceive? Absolutely. My uncle and aunt were unable to have children, and to see them now in their 60's and 70's they have more love for each other's nose then most couples have for their entire spouse. They are like newlyweds. They just learned to channel the love they could have given to their children, to each other. The Lord works in mysterious ways, I am still learning to trust God completely, but I'm trying to give everything over to him.

Matthew 11:29-30

New International Version (NIV)
29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
 
Ya know what, I am not so sure and convinced about my thoughts regarding this topic. Maybe after more solid years of studying, God willing, I may be more knowledgeable to grasp this topic. How many couples may have come to the Lord as a result of their "miracle babies" being born? If they were or weren't pondering it before, did their miracles coming alive finally convince unbelievers that there is more at work then mere science? How many children as a result of these methods have come to accept Jesus as their Messiah? Maybe it's what God has intended for this age? I am not one to deny medical treatment for anybody or to anybody. If my son's aorta was cut wide open, I wouldn't be standing over him praying to God and asking him to close it. I would be actively closing the wound, but also praying for my son's life at the same time. The bible has many examples of using the earth's herbs, and even wine to soothe or heal ailments. More I think about it, the less I am convinced of what I thought previously.
 
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