Comments on: Is ‘No Sex Before Marriage’ a Realistic Expectation?

By: JD Green

JD Green — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 00:51:10 +0000

With love:

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 20:31:00 +0000

But is a pastor a ‘civil servant’ or one who is to uphold the truth of the Word of God? If I am a civil servant, then I should just set a fee and marry all who come in the door. If I am a pastor then I should have some Biblical reference for what I do and why.

By: bobbyknight

bobbyknight — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:31:18 +0000

But is a pastor a 'civil servant' or one who is to uphold the truth of the Word of God? If I am a civil servant, then I should just set a fee and marry all who come in the door. If I am a pastor then I should have some Biblical reference for what I do and why.

By: kenhiveley

kenhiveley — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:24:59 +0000

It is true that marriage is the only prelapsarian (before the fall) sacrament. The natural law was already present, Jesus elevated this aspect of the natural because of its inherent goodness and beauty and made it the sacrament it is today. The Catholic Church does not make up sacraments but respects and abides in the teachings of Christ. What God makes man cannot dissolve.

By: New Lutheran

New Lutheran — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:01:37 +0000

I agree with everything you just said.

Adam and Eve were married by God, with no interference or help from anyone else.

By: kenhiveley

kenhiveley — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:20:22 +0000

The Catholic Church holds that marriage was the first sacrament as Adam and Eve were married by God in Genesis with: Ã¢â‚¬Å“And God created man to his own image: to the image of God he created him: male and female he created them. And God blessed them, saying: Increase and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it.Ã¢â‚¬Â Ã¢â‚¬â€Genesis 1:27-28

Ã¢â‚¬Å“Have you not read, that he who made man from the beginning, made them male and female? And he said: For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they two shall be in one flesh.Ã¢â‚¬Â Ã¢â‚¬â€Matthew 19:4-5

By: Michael

Michael — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 16:31:04 +0000

In a post-Christendom situation (where not everyone is a Christian), why do we continue to bless drive-thru marriages? It seems more like a form of nationalism (gotta keep society running!) than any real thick practice of evangelism, love, or social justice. The creepy government documents only reinforce that impression. Is the minister representing God or the state? Well, who has a bigger interest in marrying non-Christians? The People of God? Or society in general? I strongly suspect the latter, especially in North America.

By: watchout

watchout — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 20:03:16 +0000

the sad truth is, though, that most people are not as committed as you and your wife are. that's why divorce is so outrageously high. so while this may have worked for you guys, it's probably not a great idea to spread around….we have enough trouble keeping MARRIED couples together, let alone "spiritually married" ones, get what i mean?

you are right, drinking is not a bad thing in and of itself. but if you are drinking with a friend who doesnt understand the difference between drinking and drunkenness, or can't seem to control him/her self, then i would say it is sinful to continue supporting, participating in, or allowing that friend to drink in your presence.

By: Nicole

Nicole — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 18:16:54 +0000

Why are we so concerned about sex? Sex in the bible is pretty crazy stuff. However, the message of working for justice, feeding the hungry, and looking out for those who are vulnerable is a very clear theme throughout. Let's stop freaking out about sex and feed the hungry. Then they we will know we are Christians by are love for our neighbor not by our sexual behavior.

By: newlutheran

newlutheran — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:29:08 +0000

watchout: I sense the pain and hurt you've been through as I read your comments on this post. I'm truly sorry that you've been through such trials in your relationships.

You make a couple of assumptions here that disturb me. You talk of twisting the scripture into a self-serving interpretation and then in the same breath you say you can't be married before the altar. This, in and of itself, is a twisting of scripture into a self-serving interpretation. Society has developed an affinity for nice church weddings, and many have twisted scripture to make people believe that this is how God defines a wedding. I beg of you to seek out the truth from scriptures yourself. I see no requirement of a church or a pastor when it comes to the God-given gift of marriage between a man and a woman.

You talk of cohabitation as "bending God's command". I'm not sure what command you're referring to. If you're claiming that there's a command that a man and woman to be married by a pastor in a church building, and that they shouldn't live together before this event takes place, then I see this, too, as a twist of scripture to meet an agenda.