Christianity

• Some Christians regard marriage as a gift given to humanity by God – a sacrament.
• In the Christian wedding service, the phrase ‘ordained by God’ is used, giving marriage a very special significance for all Christians.
• The vows exchanged between a bride and a groom in a Christian wedding ceremony reflect this special significance of marriage.
• In the Gospels, Jesus teaches about the importance of marriage, referring back to the idea in Genesis that God created man and woman.
• Pope Francis reinforces two ideas in the Christian tradition: the family is the basis of human society and the role of the mother in passing on religious faith is fundamental.
• The traditional teaching of Christianity, Islam and Judaism has been that marriage is the basis of family life.
• Marriage is regarded as God given, the best basis for creating an environment into which children should be born, and a lifelong commitment.
• A wedding ceremony is an important rite of passage in many religious traditions, celebrating the importance of marriage and including ritual and symbolism, which often reflect the purposes of marriage.
• Commitment in a relationship is a sense of dedication and obligation to someone or something.
• Issues of relationships refer to the complete joining together of two people in a very special way, implying that the relationship becomes the most important human relationship for the couple who are married.
• In the Christian wedding service, the phrase ‘what God has joined together, let no man put asunder’ is interpreted to mean marriage should be a lifelong union.
• Christian wedding ceremonies have traditionally taken place in a chapel or church to reflect the belief that marriage is a gift from God.
• A typical wedding ceremony in the Church of England is performed by a vicar and includes a sermon on the nature and purpose of marriage, the exchange of vows, the exchange of rings, prayers, Bible readings, and the signing of the register, witnessed by a registrar and witnesses, making the marriage ceremony legal.