Athiests Marriage

[China Doll]

Morning All,

I got to thinking about marriage last night and I started wondering why two athiests would get married?

I can understand if you're an athiest and partnered up with someone religious who might have strong ideas towards marriage but marriage is basically a religious institute isn't it? So if you're both athiests, what's the point?

Cheers
China

[WaldoMcFroog]

Don't know why the notion of a frog playing guitar seems so odd - Gabriel the Toad never seemed that weird when I was a kid, and that was a bl00dy banjo!

Do you know, I don't have any mental connection between my screename and frogs at all.

[China Doll]

I misread your name at first and the frog thing just kind of stuck from there I'm afraid... Mind you, I also read Vic's name wrong too initially and that mental image was just disturbing. (Sorry Vic).

[jake-the-peg]

I got married in a church. My wife's fairly athiestic too.

the mmain reason was for other family members who were quite religious and would have found it upsetiing and possibly even seen it as a snub had we not.

So I suppose strictly speaking it was hypocritical but it doesn't exactly keep me awake at night.

[flip_flop]

That may be true in some cases Andy, but many get married in a church simply for the photo opportunity.

[naomi24]

China, how did you read Vic's name wrong? Now I'm wondering if I'm reading it wrong too!!

Waldo, your name reminds me of a frog too - but I like frogs, so it could be worse. :o)

[jake-the-peg]

Getting married in a church for the photo opportunity simply shows a lack of immagination. Or perhaps a lack of funds.

Close to where I live is Stowe Public school. the house used to be the seat of the Dukes of Buckingham.

They hire out the place for civil weddings

How about this as a backdrop?

http://www.stoweevents.co.uk/weddings/index.ht ml

Much nicer than the churches most people end up getting spliced in!

There must be an awful lot of similar venues around the country!

[brionon]

Why do you find Churches Romantic ? Were you a Choir girl ?

[mibn2cweus]

Not necessarily the best place (especially for young lads) to loose your virginity . . . but I did entertain fantasies in my youth of worshipping the preacher's daughter on the alter.

[China Doll]

I was actually engaged (apparently, I didn't even know he'd proposed!) to the son of a preacher man. True story.

[mibn2cweus]

I am the son of a preacher man. True story!

Before the rumours start flying . . . (if I'm not already too late) . . . different preacher . . . (in both cases!)

[China Doll]

I say potatoe, you say potarto (although I say it correctly obviously) ... Offspring of preachers generally have my deepest sympathy. Sorry, but those guys are scary!

[mibn2cweus]

speaking of scary authority figures

[jno]

it's a rite of passage. It says to family, friends and the community at large that you're embarking on a new stage of your life, starting a new family and leaving your old one. In days gone by, I would imagine just living to this age would be quite an achievement and well worth celebrating. Actually, aside from christenings and funerals it's the only rite of passage left - divorce parties never really caught on and only Jews still have puberty ceremonies, I think. (I once got invited to a circumcision* party in Turkey, so maybe that's a rite in Islam, I don't know.)

Historically, I don't think it had anything to do with religion; but in the middle ages the church tried to take them over, to help it impose its standards of sexual morality on society. The idea of marriage being a religious ceremony rather than a civil one lasted centuries, but seems to be in retreat again now.

*male

[EngTeach]

My male friend is marrying his male partner next month on a trip to California. The marriage will be recognized in NY though NY won't perform the ceremony. Obviously, no main stream church would do this. They want the protection a marriage will provide. My friend has inherited a bit of money and provides most of the financial stability and wants his partner protected if something happens to him. Even if his will stipulates his wishes, without the marriage it could be challenged by his less than accepting family.