If "marriage" is a religious concept, how can atheists get married?

[BurtWorm]

Just asking. ;)

[youngred]

1. shhhhhhhhhhhhh don't tell them that

it will blow their brains up.

[democratreformed]

2. Great question! LOL. n/t

[phantom power]

3. definition

Most of this confusion stems from the fact that the word "marriage" means different things to different people.

My wife and I are atheists. We just got married a few months ago. The state considers us "married" by it's legal definition of the word.

A Catholic might claim that we aren't "married", because Catholics consider the word "marriage" to refer to a specific religious sacrament, which we didn't partake of.

I consider us "married". We declared our love and commitment to each other, in front of 65 close friends and relatives. You can attach any word to that, as it pleases you.

[BurtWorm]

6. My wife and I are atheists. I recall that we did in fact get married, too.

(But it was a much smaller affair.)

[BlueEyedSon]

4. Don't worry, when the Bushies get done neither Gays nor Atheists

will be allowed to marry.

Gay Atheists will be sent directly to the camps.

[immoderate]

5. Just jump over the broom

--IMM

[Ysabel]

8. that's what we did...

:)

[lapislzi]

7. Remember Poppy's remarks re atheists

We are entitled to NONE of the privileges of citizenship, as far as he is concerned.

I'm sure he believes it would be better if we didn't breed.

[kayell]

9. In the coming Republic of Gilead

they won't be able to be married. That would be a horrible offense against Gawd. Don't worry, the Christian Reconstructionists will straighten out all these pesky little problems.

[K-W]

10. That word has different meanings.

Marriage for some is a sacrement. Marriage for others simply means a couple committing to a an open ended, long term relationship. And legally marriage is a state certified condition relating to various legal issues.

Sure it would be nice if there were three terms, but society hasnt provided us with that, so we just have to use context. Atheists think of marriage as the supreme commitment in a relationship, it carry's no deity related significance. (by the way, being an athiest doesnt rule out all spirituality, they may still believe there is some significance to love and marriage)

[Kali]

11. hmmmm

Not sure if your question is sarcastic or not, but fast answer is religious traditions often become cultural traditions. I don't have religious beliefs yet I do christmas, easter, halloween, marriage etc

Just inside that answer are various non-christian concepts that evolved into part of christian tradition...

[immoderate]

15. Sounds more like...

...cultural traditions become religious traditions.

--IMM

[truthspeaker]

12. because marriage ISN'T a religious concept

Marriage existed for millenia before organized religion stuck its nose in it.

[Skittles]

13. shhhhhhhhhhh don't tell 'em that, their brains will explode

:o

[librechik]

14. civil unions

that's what I did, and I'm a heterosexual!

[Cleita]

16. I thought religion co-opted a practice that turned women into

property, a concept which allowed a girl's father to enter into a contract whereby ownership of the girl and her subsequent children are transferred from one family to another.

In the early church, there was no sacrament of marriage. The marriage ceremony was not religious except for some minor rites involving a young girl giving up her dolls to Artemis in ancient Greece and other such rituals showing homage to household gods.

I guess the Church attempted to raise the concept of the contract to a sacrament and thereby were able to ban divorce also, another freedom taken away from women who would be bound in domestic slavery for their entire lives. By this time, you no doubt have guessed that I don't hold marriage in very high esteem.

I do want to say though that if people want to enter into the contract, with whomever they love, and if that love is consensual, then they should be allowed to do so legally.

[yellowcanine]

17. actually believe it or not, some fundies do claim that only Christians can

have a "true marriage". Of cource they get all tongue tied when asked about the high rate of "Christian" fornicating, adultery and divorce (about the same percentages as the rest of the population)

[Sliverofhope]

18. Clever.

Damnably clever.

[arewethereyet]

19. its not a religious concept, its a social one

the church got involved inthe middle ages when the church managed society and in roughly the same capacity only with a little blessing to make everyone feel all warm and fuzzy.