Monday, March 23, 2009

Marriage Redefined

The first edition (1828) of Webster's American Dictionary of the English Language defines marriage:

MAR'RIAGE, n. [L. mas, maris.] The act of uniting a man and woman for life; wedlock; the legal union of a man and woman for life. Marriage is a contract both civil and religious, by which the parties engage to live together in mutual affection and fidelity, till death shall separate them. Marriage was instituted by God himself for the purpose of preventing the promiscuous intercourse of the sexes, for promoting domestic felicity,and for securing the maintenance and education of children.
Marriage is honorable in all and the bed undefiled. Heb.13.
1. A feast made on the occasion of a marriage.
The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king, who made a marriage for his son. Matt.22.
2. In a scriptural sense, the union between Christ and his church by the covenant of grace. Rev.19.

A few years ago dictionaries started adding to the original definition. The new definition now states that marriage includes "the state of being united to a person of the same sex in a relationship like that of a traditional marriage."

In 1945, George Orwell wrote Animal Farm, and one of the characters in the book was the pig, Squealer, who arbitrarily redefined words so that they would mean what he wanted. As Orwell explained about Squealer, "he could turn black into white" as part of his attempt to get the other animals to accept his message; the same tactic is apparently being used in modern dictionaries.

If atheists should decide they want to be "baptized," should dictionaries change the definition of baptism? Who created "marriage?" Who created "baptism?"

In 1913, the Texas Supreme Court answered: "Marriage was not originated by human law. It is ... a status ordained by God."

James Wilson, who was a US Supreme Court Justice after he signed the Constitution, emphasized the importance of a Biblical concept of the family:

Whether we consult the soundest deductions of reason, or resort to the best information conveyed to us by history, or listen to the undoubted intelligence communicated in Holy Writ, we shall find that to the institution of marriage the true origin of society must be traced.

George Washington reminded the nation:

And let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion.—Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure—reason and experience both forbid us to expect, that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.—

Marriage: A God-Ordained Institution

Marriage Amendment

Sacred Civil Institutions

Republicans Legalize Homosexual "Marriage"

Cult Threatens Religious Liberty and Property Rights

Gay-Bashing and Christian-Bashing

Sex Education

Newsweek Attacks Marriage

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