Marriage

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The man said, "This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man." For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.

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Marriage is a union formed between one man and one woman, ordained by God. The unity between a man and a woman in marriage is a picture or analogy of the relationship that God desires to have with his creation.

Marriage is a life-long love commitment to another person, under any circumstances. Frequently this involves a public commitment ceremony (wedding) where vows are exchanged to each other and before God. Each culture has different practices for these types of ceremonies When people do not or cannot maintain that commitment, then the marriage ends in divorce.

The clearest description of marriage in the Bible comes from I Corinthians 7:1-16:

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Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency. But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment. For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that. I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I. But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn. And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife. But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace. For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?

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Civil marriage

Civil marriage is a legal contract. In the state constitutions of almost all states^{[Citation Needed]}, this contract must be between one man and one woman. It gives each member certain rights and obligations. Most commonly, these include power of attorney, inheritance rights, sharing finances, and rights in relation to any children they may have. With the advent of no-fault divorce, most of these rights and obligations can be terminated by either party at any time for any reason.

Historically, these rights are given to ensure that if the breadwinner dies, a stay at home spouse will be able to support themself and any children from the marriage.^{[Citation Needed]}

In most countries, married couples are treated as a single economic entity, and when one partner dies, the other may inherit all of their property in a simpler system than would be required without the marriage.

African-American marriages were not legally recognized in the United States until after the Civil War, and mixed race couples were only allowed to marry in all areas of the US after a 1967 decision in the United States Supreme Court. Before that time, 16 states prohibited interracial marriage. Disapproval of interracial relationships was once justified as divinely ordained and public opinion polls taken in 1968 indicated that 72% of Americans disapproved of interracial marriages.^{[Citation Needed]}

See also

• Form of Solemnization of Matrimony, an example of a traditional marriage service