Question about Marriage....?

No, I feel like it has made my faith stronger. If you follow what the Bible says then it is not that hard. He actually keeps me going. Some days I don't feel like going to church and he encourages me and I do the same for him.

I have checked several translations (all of the more popular ones including the King James, New KJ, NIV, American Standard, Contemporary English, Revised Version, English Standard and a few more...you get the point) and found nowhere in any of 1 Corinthians 7 (or the latter part of 1 Co 6 or any of 1 Co 8) where it says that it will make your focus on God lessened because of focus on your spouse. What you are ideally supposed to have is, within a marriage, there is actually a 3-way bond. God, NOT THE HUSBAND, is the Head of the Family, or in an analogy, the top of an equal-sided triangle, and then the husband and wife are the two bottom corners of the triangle and in and of themselves, mutually complementing each other. It says in Ephesians 5:21-33 that husband and wife are to love and respect each other and to include the Lord in this relationship as Jesus included us as "his own" to the Father.

Paul was leaving an option to those who might not be able to practice the two concurently! Being married does not make you less of a christian, but, if you are tempted to look outside your spouse you are breaching one of the Ten Commandments: Though shall not commit adultery. God views adultery as serious because it has caused rifts even among nations. Anecdotal evidence suggests that a spouse may kill any party involved in the adultereous relationship and that would lead to another breach to the Commandments,: Though shall not kill.

First I wish to state that what follows comes from my opinions and a little personal experience nothing more and should be taken for nothing more than my view on things.

It is rather interesting how one man's opinion on a subject he has yet to experience first hand has so much impact on how others think they must act. As he never married I don't think he would know how easy it can be to maintain a marriage and still have a strong faith. My husband and I have different religions. We knew this before we married and came to terms with it then as well. Though we have fought over a number of things, difference of faiths has not been an issue.

Not able to speak for him I will only speak for myself. My faith is a part of me similar to my body parts. Small changes can be made but it is impossible to completely separate me from it with out causing massive harm. Marriage is a relationship I have with one man whom I can lose. It will hurt to lose him but in the end my life can still move on without him. Focusing on my spouse in no way detracts from my relationship with my deity, but in some ways helps increase it.

I am single and it seems like married people are more limited on what they can do in ministry. When you're single it seems like you can focus more on the Lord and be able to do things you wouldn't normally get to do if you were married and have kids. When you get married, your spouse and children come before ministry.

This might not be very related to your question, but I think it is very interesting that Paul says that if you are a widow, you will be happier if you stay single. I've thought about that. does being married bcome wearisome after awhile? Or what's the deal?

I'll chalk it up to an exhortation to purity, and a higher calling, not being less of a Christian. Being married & having kids means an additional focus, and the Christian's attentions are naturally diverted even though they do not sin in getting hitched.

I wouldn't call it less of a christian. I would say that you have to set aside more time for your spouse - leaving less time to focus on God.

But thankfully I married someone with my same beliefs, and we can both focus on God together. That draws us closer to God! That 3-fold cord!

i don't even know where to start with this one.

why do so many people follow a religion that teaches them they are never good enough and should never be happy?

how about this - fall in love, get married, have children, travel, have dinner parties, live a wonderful life to a ripe old age, and go out as a good person. don't worry so much about the after life.

i don't mean to sound harsh, i just feel bad for people in your situation, but i hope you work through it : )

Judging from Pauls other anti-woman quotes, I'd say he was abit of a self-centered homosexual. I mean not all homosexuals are bad nor heterosexuals either, but he was.

You can concentrate doing more for God if you are single, but you both can try to do just as much . Spread his word ,volunteer ,missions ..etc