congrats on the engagement?

Well, two of my friends are getting married and I don't get it. Certainly we're not dealing with religious folk here. in fact, they've been living together for two years. He's more atheist than she is (she's what I would call a cultural Catholic). In any case, she wants to be married 'in the church'. Needless to say, that makes me sick. When I was told the news, the messenger acted as if I should be happily surprised. 'Oh, what a great thing! It's about time! Best of luck in life and love!". Buh.

Instead I simply asked "oh really. What's their motivation?"

Snide as this answer might seem, I was really interested. So, I went ahead and asked three or four others. Nothing. Not one real answer to my question. A lot of "well it's about time". Why? "it means something." What does it mean? (no answers were forthcoming). and finally the killer: "She wants to be married in the Catholic Church."

hold on while I ready my reaction to that idea...............

BBBBBAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRFFFFFFF

It makes me damned sick living in Generation Feel. "Oh I know I should stop smoking but I don't feel like it". "Oh I know I shouldn't abandon my spouse but I don't feel whole." WELL ARE YOU WHOLE OR ARENT YOU?! Seriously man, it's an entire generation with less than 10% able to think past its stomach and genitals.

I think the Church should burn itself down before allowing mixed marriages with non-believers. If you don't believe and won't submit to a mandatory period of pre-marriage counciling (which should be a pre-req for marriage in a Church), then there's no way you should take vows to a Christian God. Despite my friendship I won't be able to go... afraid I'm probably protesting. Watching hypocrisy in action is too difficult for me. If it was a civil service I'd be more than happy to go and plan the reception, but I can't compromise my principles enough to go for an hour and watch vows being falsely given to a God the parties A. Don't believe in and B. Inasmuch as they do it's some very nebulous "godhood" idea, not the thrice holy godhead. Sitting there having what is bound and loosed on earth bound and loosed in heaven and not even believing that God exists.... after living a lifestyle for a large number of years that the Church consistently preaches as ungodly. Are you kidding me? It makes me sick to my stomach.

I don't know whether to cry or break something. I want to give my entire life to the idea of this redemptive God through his Son and in his Holy Spirit, and to think that I will watch two people I usually like blatantly blaspheme holy vows. It's unacceptable.

So then what is it? Is it just the financial boons? If so, then we should certainly do away with the legal idea of marriage. Those boons were originally meant to assist people in rearing children (once an understood obligation of rightfully married and fertile people). Benefits were certainly not meant to be given out just so that your love could be recognized. Do people really think that the government of the USA gives a rip about your duly committed love to another human being? Get a grip.

Is it recognition before God? Well, said deity would have to be acknowledged before a vow to it meant anything.

Is it merely a public pronouncement? Can't be. Cats already out of the bag on that one. It's been pretty official for some time now.

Is it to be gathered to make vows before friends and family? That could have been done without the Church being involved.

So I am left with only one conclusion. The Church is being used. It's being used as a vehicle of happiness. Although 99.9% of their lives will be spent in open hostility to its teachings, there is a draw of beauty and majesty there that cannot be equaled by secular rituals. There is a power in the very building where the Body of Christ gathers... it oozes holiness in its liturgy, in its sacraments, in its art, and in its music - these things cannot be duplicated by outsiders. The Church, the music, the faith, and the tradition will be used and then dispensed. It's being desecrated and made to play the fool by people who have no understanding or appreciation of its ways. The blood, sweat, and toil of true believers who have built those buildings and been sanctified by those vows and sung those hymns will be cast aside for nicety and expediency. There will be no amen sounding through the people again on that night, there will only be the laughing of Satan as secular society wins yet another against the Body of Christ. The Desolating Sacrilege of Daniel will once again stand in the Temple.

If I am ever a priest I will not marry unbelievers in my Church, no matter what the cost.