The churchs doctrine for marriage

1. The Churchs doctrine for marriage
Author: Ricardo Paulo Javier Arieu
Introduction
Because of the decline in the average western religiosity, modern society is in crisis. Although
was God who instituted marriage (Genesis chapter 2:23-35), many young couples know this truth
but they are ignoring it. Many obviate marriage, staying single. Others suffer the crisis in
marriage and divorce other. So, marriage is in crisis too. But despite this social crisis, the
Church continues to advise a couple wishing to organize a family that to be married is the best
option to manage a healthy family. Thus the occidental civilization is in crisis and marriage is in
crisis too (scandal, divorce, homosexual marriage, death, family violence, etc.).
Society in the first church days
Atkinson, Field, Holmes & O'Donovan mention that in the first church days, marriage was
considered of importance to the community, rather as something personal and familiar (2013,
p.567). Atkinson et al. say that in marriage “a man and a woman step out of their separateness
into community; they turn towards each other” (2013, p.77). In the Spanish Catholic web
PrimerosCristianos (2015) said that regarding the marriage rite in the early church, though not
originally Jewish, had no Christian originality. The fathers of the Church respected local customs
to dictate the marriage rite. In Christian marriage, equality between men and women was social
news of the day. In marriage between Christians, the position of women is to partner rights in
parity with the other spouse. The Christianism gave the woman a higher consideration compared
with the pagan religions of those times. The Letter to Diognetus, a mid-second century brief non

2. canonical epistle, explains the social habits of Christians Church’s doctrine for marriage: “They
marry like everybody and beget children, but do not abandon those born” (Diognetus, III). So,
based on the letter to Diognetus the web PrimerosCristianos (2015) makes a brief analytical
commentary as was the marriage in the first centuries:
Christians marry like everyone (V, 6), so Jewish, so Greek, so Roman. Accept the imperial laws,
while they do not go against the Gospel. The marriage is celebrated in the Lord (1 Corinthians
chapter 7:39), within the community, without a special ceremony… Christians marry like
everyone else, but show signs of a tenor of peculiar behavior, admirable, and admittedly all
surprising.
American society in the last days
American society is less religious than some years ago behind. At 1992, Psychiatrist and
philosopher Enrique Rojas said about occidental civilization: "this partnership is sick" (Rojas,
1992, p.11). More than two decades have passed and the West marriage has not improved.A Pew
Research Center study finds a great deal of stability in the U.S. religious landscape. But that
study said that
“an extensive new survey of more than 35,000 U.S. adults finds that the percentages, who say
they believe in God, pray daily and regularly go to church or other religious services all have
declined modestly in recent years” (Pewforum, 2015).
Thus the occidental civilization is in crisis and marriage is in crisis too (scandal, divorce,
homosexual marriage, death, family violence, etc.).

3. Obsolete
During these times of social crisis, some young couples find that marriage is an outdated
institution. Belinda Luscombe an Australian-born journalist and editor at large at TIME
Magazine said that “in 1978, when the divorce rate was much higher than it is today, a TIME
poll asked Americans if they thought marriage was becoming obsolete. Twenty-eight percent
did“(Luscombe, 2010).
Cohabitation, divorce
But others unaware of the risks of cohabitation decide to give it a try. Also many others after
being married for some time decide to divorce. Isaza (w.d) said that in USA “one hundred and
three thousand new unions each day are presented”.
The same doctrine
The current conservative Christian churches in the doctrine of the apostles and Fathers of the
Church now continue teaching that marriage is the best recommendation for those couples who
are dating and wish to formalize their relationship choice. Mahaney wrote that "Marriage
between a man and a woman was created with the intention to reflect the relationship of Christ
and his Church." It also explains that the biblical purpose of marriage "does not focus on the man
or the needs. It focuses on God. It is mysterious and significant from the bottom. His marriage
was to point to the truth of the crucifixion and resurrection of the Lord, who returned for his
bride"(Mahaney, 2006, p.25, 27).

4. These convictions were not original Christianity but are rooted in the Old Testament Israel. The
Judeo-Christian marriage worldview and family, with its roots in the sacred Hebrew-Christian
scriptures (Based on Genesis chapter 2 vs. 15-25, Mathew chapter 19 vs. 2-11 and Ephesians
chapter 5 vs. 21-33) do not recommend for couples to cohabit, since there are no sufficient
guarantees that they will stay together or after a period of cohabitation actually achieve getting
married. Laura Mitchell, a student of economics at George Mason University, says most of the
estimates in respect of cohabitation before the wedding, predict an increased risk of divorce by
33 percent. Regardless of the magnitude of this figure, all studies conclude the same thing: that
premarital cohabitation is highly correlated with the number of failed marriages (Mitchel, 2013).
Those young people who do not feel matrimonial vocation could use the time to study, work or
devote their spare time to serve God with greater freedom than being responsible for managing a
family. But those individuals who are still in time to raise a family and are afraid to remain
single could pray to God waiting for their help; and they should also be alert to those
opportunities through the circumstances of life they may encounter. But they should make good
use of time to be better prepared in the social, spiritual and mature as people, in order to, in some
time, meet other special being they ever dreamed possible and to form a strong, healthy and well-
knit family to resist the cultural onslaught of time.
Conclusion
Finally, everyone should be aware that it’s true that marriage is an institution within crisis today.
Despite the passage of centuries, two thousand years since the Church teaches that heterosexual
marriage as God instituted is between a man and a woman is the best valid option for men and
women who have vocation to manage a family wisely and biblical. From the beginning of the

5. Church theologians and ministers are teaching that heterosexual marriage is the best valid option
for men and women who should organize a family vocation. The Epistle to Diognetus helps both
historians and other intellectuals to understand what Christian did about marriage. This letter is
an important historical argument about marriage. Marriage was instituted for the glory of God
and not just for the satisfaction of the couple. People should organize a family according to
Christian values and the marriage must not be broken as easily. In this manner the name of the
Lord Jesus should be glorified by the married people.
References
Atkinson, D.J., Field, D. F., Holmes, A. F., O' Donovan, O. “Marriage” in New Dictionary
of Christian Ethics and Pastoral Theology. (1998). Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press.
Isaza, G. M. Las alarmantes estadísticas del divorcio. (w.d.). Retrieved of
http://www.nosdivorciamos.com/?quien=bW9kdWxvPWludGVybmEmdGFibGE9YXJ0aWN1b
G8mb3BjaW9uPTE3
Luscombes, B. Who Needs Marriage? A Changing Institution. (2010). Retrieved from
http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2032116,00.html
Mahaney, C.J. Sexo, Romance y la Gloria de Dios. 1st. edition in Spanish. (2006).
Publishing House Unilit. Miami. USA.
Diogneto. Letter to Diognetus. Retrived from http://www.mercaba.org/TESORO/427-10.htm
Mitchel, L. Cohabitation’s Transaction Costs. (2013). Retrived from

6. http://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2013/04/cohabitations-transaction-costs
Pew forum. U.S. Public Becoming Less Religious. Modest Drop in Overall Rates of Belief
and Practice, but Religiously Affiliated Americans Are as Observant as Before. (2015).
http://www.pewforum.org/2015/11/03/u-s-public-becoming-less-religious/
PrimerosCristianos. Los primeros cristianos y el matrimonio. (2015).
Retrieved from http://www.primeroscristianos.com/index.php/temas/item/1966-el-matrimonio-
en-el-cristianismo- primitivo/
Rojas, E. El Hombre Light. Colection Fin de Siglo. Ed. Temas de Hoy. Spain.