BlueStar said:People get married without any intention of having children. People unable to have children still get married. People have children without getting married. There is clearly much more to marriage than procreation. That's just something pushed by organised religions who want as many little catholics/muslims/whatever popping out to bolster their numbers.
This is why I draw the division. I believe that marriage is too complicated and formalized as an institution nowadays.
I believe that there is absolutely no need for marriage if you're not intended to create a family unit. This is the core idea behind marriage, anything else can be achieved in a standard relationship, which can also be formalized if that is your desire.
QUOTEYes they are, they have a right to believe whatever parts of the bible they want.
That's called "don't give a shitism". Either you believe the whole thing or you don't. Obviously the Bible is just a moral framework, not a set of factual stories written in stone. Never the less, you can't pick and choose.
Imagine if judges judged people based on excerpts. "Oh, this part of the Law sounds okay. Oh, wait. This one doesn't. Meh, I'll go with part 1 and forget about part 2". That's not how it works. If you call yourself a good Christian, you follow the bible in its whole, not excerpts.
That makes me a bad Christian, and I realize that, but at least I *acknowlage* it instead of painting myself with brighter colours than I really am.