My Common Sense is Tingling: Marriage Equals… | The Angry Black Woman

I saw the above image with the following comments:

Every time I hear about how marriage has ALWAYS been between one man and one woman I want to go through the Bible and bring all this up. The infographic is very helpful.
Next I need a list of all the different kinds of marriages throughout history. Because not only have we had polygamous marriage for forever, but it hasn’t always been one man and several wives. Plus, there’s that whole penchant Egyptians had for marrying siblings (there is evidence that this wasn’t just a practice of the royals, either).
But for those who only believe in what the Bible tells them, this is the best weapon.

I do believe what the Bible says about marriage. Does the Bible tells us that  Levirate marriages, concubines, polygamy are prescribed as commandments or condoned?  No, the Bible merely tells us that they happened and we have no evidence that God was happy about it. As a matter of fact the times at which God actively and miraculously matched men and women together  (Adam/Eve and Isaac/Rebbecca. are examples) were single, male/female relationships. Other marriages being discussed were the choices of people. God didn't tell them to do that.Also in a Levirate marriage the woman who married her dead husband's closest living male relative it was a real marriage and she was supposed to be a full wife. Their children were to carry on the lineage of the dead husband and provide the woman the protection that a widow looses  in that culture.

Now it gets interesting. Because the Bible does mandate that if a man rapes a virgin he has to marry her. The Bible does not mandate that a woman must marry her rapist. The Bible also talks about how to marry a woman who has been captured in war. It seems crazy to our modern sensibilities. I mean why would a woman want to marry her rapist? We are repulsed by the idea because today women have options. In Ancient times, they had no options. A woman who had been raped would not have the protection of a husband. It was better for her in that time to be in a marriage where she could not be divorced. God gave them this command for the woman's protection. If one carefully studies the Hebrew you can see when it's talking about when a woman is being forced or when a woman is choosing to have sex. Both cases are discussed.

As for two of the relationships given in the chart, there are misstatements..

Genesis 16 is about Hagar being Sarah's slave and becoming Abraham's concubine.  The chart says that a wife's property becomes that of her husband's. I should hope so! And vice versa! By this time, Sarah and Abraham had been married for years! Being barren, Sarah thought she could help God out because they had been promised children. Sarah knew legally, the child Hagar would bear by Abraham would be his and Sarah's. That was the practice of the time and no where does God say "Good idea! All those who follow me should do the same thing!!!"

As for Exodus 21:4, the whole law is not given:

² “If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free, without paying anything. ³ If he comes alone, he is to go free alone; but if he has a wife when he comes, she is to go with him. ⁴ If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free.
 ⁵ “But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,’ ⁶ then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life.- Exodus 21:4-6

The law is not about mating slaves together like cattle. Thank America for that, not God. Instead the scripture it talking about giving permission to a slaves to marry.

So why did God allow people to mess up marriage so bad, if  monogamous, male-to-female marriages are better for us and His will?  Jesus answered this for us:

⁷ “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”  ⁸ Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning.

Does anyone really think that these other aberrations of  what marriage should  be is any different than the evil of  divorce, made necessary by our sins? I don't. Why should we go and further mess up what marriage has become? Why make it worse? We should just go back to what God has called "Good", not to "I'll let you slide until I decide to judge you in hell".



Marriage Equals… | The Angry Black Woman

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My Common Sense Is Tingling: Islam and Christianity A Common Word: Protestant Christians Support Polygamy!

Image via WikipediaThegrandverbalizer has posted an article pointing to a Christian article about Polygamy. He wrote:

I found this very interesting web site that I thought I would share.

It seems more and more Christians from the Protestant tradition (Methodist, Calvinist and others are showing the Bible supports Polygamy).

There is also mention of how Christian missionary attempts have failed in areas where they are not sensitive to the culture on this issue.

http://www.blainerobison.com/concerns/polygamy.htm

The article is written by Blaine Robison. I agree that this particular author claims that the Bible supports Polygamy, but this man is a Christian who is a part of the Protestant Tradition. I would have liked to have seen evidence that some Methodists and Calvinists believe that the Bible Supports polygamy. However, the conclusion Robison offers has a serious flaw in it. He writes:

Researching the subject of polygamy has been an enlightening and thought-provoking venture. Polygamists offer cogent arguments for their lifestyle and deserve to be heard. Polygamy is not going away and polygamists will continue to press for equal rights. It's long past time in my view to de-criminalize polygamy between consenting and competent adults. I encourage all Christians to study for themselves what God’s Word has to say on this important issue and let Scripture be the final arbiter. I think our churches could benefit from increased dialog on this subject and greater charity toward those who choose to live differently than the majority.

His argument hinges on the idea that God does not permit what God Hates. One example in scripture of God permitting something he hates (and a reason given for it) blows his argument apart. And that example is Divorce. Do we have any scripture at all that tells us how to divorce and protect the women and children involved? Yup. Just like polygamy. Did God allow righteous people to get divorced? Yes. So why did Moses permit and legislate Polygamy. The same reason why God permitted divorce. What reason was that?

¹ When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. ² Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
³ Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”
⁴ “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ ⁵ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? ⁶ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
⁷ “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”
⁸ Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. ⁹ I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
¹⁰ The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.”
¹¹ Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. ¹² For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.” - Matthew 19"1-12

So why was polygamy allowed under the Old Covenant - Because our hearts are wicked. It's not the ideal. Jesus told us the ideal. Marriage should be monagamous and life-long commitment between a man and a woman. This is what God intended. The question is put to us: "Do you want the ideal best that God designed for us, or do you the pale imitation of true fulfillment in which just your sexual desires are temporarily sated? Personally, I want God's best.

Many times Polygamy is thought to look like thus:

But almost never:

Islam and Christianity A Common Word: Protestant Christi ans Support Polygamy!

Answering Muslims: Adulterous Sexual Relations Sanctioned by Islam

On the Answering Muslims blog there is a short article posted by Dr. A. A. Ahmed which addresses the five kinds of marriages that historical Islam recognizes as allowed by Allah. I find the list troubling because only the first one is endorsed as perfectly good as well as commanded (not for everyone) in the Bible. The second one including polygamy is not endorsed nor condemned in the Bible except for leaders in the Christian Church. Polygamy was allowed in the times the Bible was written but I see no reason to continue it today. As for the other forms I notice that many women even in this day and age settle for these relationships when they could have so much better - one man who will love and care for her as Christ loves the Church. This is what God truly desires for women to have in their marriages...not temporary relationships that only benefit a man, nor having to share him with other women.

Answering Muslims: Adulterous Sexual Relations Sanctioned by Islam