subject: Religious Views Of Marriage [print this page] Marriage is one of the most memorable, and at the same time, sacrilegious event celebrated around the world. Marriage practices, as well as their purpose and the laws that surrounds it, are very diverse across cultures. All mainstream religions have strong views relating to marriage. Most religions perform a wedding ceremony to solemnize the beginning of a marriage. For many, marriage may be regarded as a sacrament, a contract, a sacred institution, or a covenant.
Christian views of Marriage
Christians believe that Marriage is a gift from God, one that should not be taken for granted. From the very beginning of the Christian Church, marriage law and theology have been a major matter. The foundation of the Western tradition of Christian marriages have been the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul.
Protestant views of Marriage
Protestant denominations see the primary purpose of marriage to be to glorify God by demonstrating his love to the world. Other purposes of Marriage include intimate companionship, rearing children and mutual support for both husband and wife to fulfill their life callings. Protestants generally approve of birth control and consider marital sexual pleasure to be a gift of God.
Judaism views of Marriage
In Judaism, marriage is viewed as a contractual bond commanded by God in which a man and a woman come together to create a relationship in which God is directly involved. Though procreation is not the sole purpose, a Jewish marriage is also expected to fulfill the commandment to have children. The main focus centers around the relationship between the husband and wife.
Islamic views of Marriage
Islam also commends marriage, with the age of marriage being whenever the individuals feel ready, financially and emotionally. For a Muslim wedding to take place, the bride and her guardian must both agree on the Marriage. Should either the guardian or the girl disagree on the marriage, it may not legally take place. In essence, while the guardian/father of the girl has no right to force her to marry, he has the right to stop a marriage from taking place, given that his reasons are valid. The professed purpose of this practice is to ensure that a woman finds a suitable partner whom she has chosen not out of sheer emotion.
Hinduism views of Marriage
Hinduism sees marriage as a sacred duty that entails both religious and social obligations. Old Hindu literature in Sanskrit gives many different types of marriages and their categorization. "Gandharva Vivaha" marriage is an instant marriage by mutual consent of participants only, without any need for even a single third person as witness to normal (present day) marriages. to "Rakshasa Vivaha" or "demoniac" marriage, is performed by abduction of one participant by the other participant, usually, but not always, with the help of other persons.
