The Sanctity of Marriage

For the greater part of the past century, there has been a progressive departure from tradition; and, at the same time that so many terms have been added to the common lexicon, so too have many critical terms been jettisoned or redefined for some purpose or another.

Notably, these changes have extended to matters of sex and gender, sexuality, and the institution of marriage. Even the word itself, marriage, has been reformed to accord with new-age political thinking, and it is not always in the most obvious ways that the term has been redefined and reconstituted but also in the obvious omissions from the new definitions and practices.

Most shocking of all, perhaps, are the radical shifts and departures which have characterized the new "Christianity", a set of institutions and worshippers selectively emphasizing "tolerance", feel-good themes, and "progressive" political agendas at the expense of the core principles, traditions, and doctrines supported by the Scriptures. Over time, this has meant more "feel-good" Christians with progressively fewer "do-good" Christians.

For example, Community of Christ church, headquartered in Independence, Missouri, offers this characterization of "marriage" on its website:

Jesus Christ taught that the bond between two people who love and commit to each other in a formalized covenant is sacred (Matthew 19:4–6). He blessed marriage with his presence (John 2:1–11). Christian marriage is a sacred covenant between two people for lifelong, healthy, loving companionship. Marriage is also a legal agreement. The sacrament of marriage highlights God’s desire to strengthen and enrich the marriage. A Community of Christ marriage ceremony includes a statement of mutual covenant, "You both mutually agree to be each other’s companion…" (Doctrine and Covenants 111:2b), and a pronouncement prayer, "May God add his blessings and keep you to fulfill your covenants from henceforth and forever. Amen" (Doctrine and Covenants 111:2d). The couple’s agreement establishes a lifelong bond, a covenant to share Christ-like love with each other, with others, and with God. Community of Christ priests and elders may perform this sacrament, regardless of the couple’s membership in Community of Christ, as long as local laws governing marriage are followed.

In this particular case, the most grievous error committed is one of omission, and not just the most obvious omission of the words "man" and "woman"; words which distinguish not only marriage as separate from any other kind of union (i.e. homosexual relationships) but also characterize the biological necessity for childbirth. The latter is precisely the purpose of both life and marriage: the commitments forged which enable the human species not just to survive but to thrive with the benefit of the lasting legacies they inherit from parents and prior generations. Indeed, the sanctity of marriage has its basis not in "companionship" but in childbearing, childrearing, and the transmission of culture to subsequent generations. This is the foundation of "community", whereby committed spouses dedicate themselves to the good of their children, thereby enriching the community with children who develop into good and capable adults who do the same, equipped with the mental and physical resources to succeed in this mission.

It is in this way that the covenant between man and woman is more than a mere union or mutual commitment; more than that, true marriage guarantees the preservation and transmission of good values, sound judgment, fruitful habits, and worthwhile wisdom. True marriage stands as a model of good and fruitful living, and as an example to follow: whether for the necessity of the species or for the betterment of the human condition, the sacred institution of marriage serves the highest and most necessary of ends.

This is the purpose of marriage: it is not an institution for the mere enjoyment of companionship, but rather among the most sacred of institutions because of its necessary place in securing a future for the human species, providing a stable and constructive home life for children, and thereby having a stabilizing and edifying effect on all of society. That which fails this standard is simply something other than "marriage"; and, where any other kind of arrangement operates under this label, it does so fraudulently: such a fraud is an utter disservice to the institution and better characterized by another and less ambitious set of terms.

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