Biblical Marriage or Christian Marriage?

Biblical marriage? Of What sort? ...Really?

Not this straw man again!  It seems like in the wake of a move towards marriage equality,  there is yet another attempt to misuse Scripture to obscure what most Christians mean when they speak about the sacrament of marriage!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jennifer-g-bird/biblical-marriage_b_6018836.html

The article linked above, from Jennnifer G. Bird at the Huffington Post is worth reading! Not because it will enlighten us about what the sacrament of marriage is for Christians, but because of the way it attempts complicate and obscure something that,  for 21 st century Christians, is pretty obvious!

The author, a progressive theologian, succinctly comments on a number of Bible passages showing the relationship patterns of people described in the Bible! She apparently does this in an effort to prove what is obvious...many were dysfunctional! Christians are not surprised about this, we read our Bibles!

What we do not believe , and do not claim, is that they present a pattern to imitate! On marriage and its meaning, modern day Christians defer to Jesus! Though it does not appear that he ever married, he did  state clearly his thoughts on the matter in the context of speaking about divorce:           

Matthew 19:4-5

"Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, 'for this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh ! "So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate..." .

This post is by no means a judgement on same gender relationships nor the equal access to civil marriage for all couples! I fully support that!!!! It is also not meant to comment on the too often found reality of divorce! It is for the sake of charity and mutual understanding that we should state the views of others with clarity, even if we disagree on how they apply their convictions in the public arena. I do not feel people on both sides of this conversation do this with any consistency.

Modern societies governed by secular principles can and should adapt the definition of civil marriage as is appropriate for the times! Communities of faith should prayerfully decide how to include and bless loving relationships as is congruent with their faith traditions!

However, it is about time folks  STOP misdefining what Christians MEAN when they speak of Biblical marriage.....!

Just in case you missed it... they mean this!  Any questions?

Blessings!

Seraph