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“Biblical” Mawwiage


What the frak is the “biblical definition of marriage?” I’m sick and tired of politicians and religious leaders ranting about this issue and make it sound as if this is the issue on which America will stand or fall.


“Biblical” marriage, if you didn’t realize it, can occur when a man rapes a woman and pays the bride price. (Deuteronomy 22:28-29) The Mosaic Law also commands a man to marry his brother’s wife if his brother dies and doesn’t have any children. Then he is to raise the child up as if it was his brother’s child.


Biblical study and the use of Scripture is a very tricky thing and takes much forethought and care. Marriage, as it is practiced in the Western world, has nothing to do with the Bible and everything to do with inheritance laws as our culture has received them down through the centuries. These laws, in case you did not know, are based on Roman custom.


So, do I sound like a ranting liberal to you right now? If so, you’ve probably ignored me after the first paragraph. This is not a liberal or conservative matter. The problem is we have people making an issue like this sound like it’s the hinge point of American morality (thanks Billy Graham–I do a great impression of you) and the most pressing problem our country faces.


God…help…us. We have record unemployment, debt levels through the roof, a multitude of homeless and hungry people and religious leaders and politicians want us to worry about marriage? Are you kidding me? Are we that naive and foolish? Can’t we see a smoke blind for what it is?


If politicians and well paid religious leaders cause us to focus on so-called “morality” issues then they’ve done their job because we will ignore the real moral problems facing our country. Let us argue about the definition of marriage, right? Because Jesus said that was our number one concern, right? Or did he?


Matthew 25:31-40, ““When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me. ’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you? ’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me. ’”

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