subject: Wedding Ceremonies And Religion Why Connect The Two? [print this page] Religion and weddings have been combined in some sort or other during all of human existence. In ancient Sumeria, present-day Iraq, the Akkadians rang in the new year with a tradition during which the king symbolically married the goddess Inanna, ensuring prosperity and a rewarding harvest.
We even know of sacrifices during weddings. Especially to the goddess Artemis in historic Rome and Greece. Artemis was the goddess of virginity, fertility and childbirth. These offerings were a way to beg for the benediction of the couples gods upon the marriage.
Today, most of the globes religions are a big part in wedding ceremonies. Getting married in the Jewish faith provides that the pair is bound together in the spiritual sphere as well as the earthly one. The Talmud, the ultimate compilation of Jewish law, tells us that Rav Yehuda imparted that 40 days before a male child is conceived, a voice from the heavens declares whose daughter he will marry. This is thought of as "bashert," or fate or destiny. In accordance to Jewish law, a rabbi is not required for a couple to be married, but many ceremonies include one due to Western laws calling for either a spiritual or secular representative to oversee the ceremony. Its the rabbis task to thank God and beg His blessing during the ceremony.
In Christian wedding ceremonies, the marriage is performed by a priest or minister. He shares quotes out of the Bible about the inviolability and beliefs about marriage. The cleric will also ask for God's benediction and give thanks to God. A lot of times, sacred hymns will be performed, and, in some beliefs, the pair will take Communion as part of the wedding tradition. Basically, Christianity states that God made man and woman to be partners and companions, and, therefore, the wedding is fulfilling God's plan.
Islam tells us that marriage is a sacred duty, meant to perpetuate the human race and good fortune of the family. In the course of the ceremony, the ecclesiastic will cite from the Koran, and will have the bride and groom recite prayers while the Koran is placed between them. In Genesis 15, God told Abraham his heirs would reach a number as manifold as the stars. Traditional Jewish, Christian, and Islamic wedding ceremonies are connected to this.
Hinduism believes marriage to be a sacred rite, during which two people start their lives as one, combining spirit and matter. The bride and groom are stand-ins for the goddess Lamxi and the god Lord Narayana. During the ceremonial, the pair affirms their commitment before God, and the ceremony is overseen by Agni, the God of Fire.
The Buddhist faith plays no real role in the marriage ceremony. Buddha makes no rules about marriage. Yet, a lot of couples will still request blessings from their local monks on their special day.
For most cultures, religion and spirituality are important parts of getting married, both as traditional rituals and as a source of meaning and strength. We should learn more about relationships if we understand more relative to marriage rituals and history.
