Reception of Converts - Baptism vs. Marriage

[gzt]

I understand that there are differing opinions on whether to receive converts from Protestantism, who have been given a Protestant baptism, by baptism or chrismation, but I've been wondering: if the idea with either baptism or chrismation is that there's something lacking in a Protestant baptism, then why doesn't the same (as far as I know) apply to a Protestant marriage?

We have no doubt that such people are married. If we do perform a marriage service for them, it's blessing an existing marriage. What God has brought together, let no man put asunder. And it would be profoundly weird to read the exhortations of St Paul about convert marriage any other way. In the case of baptism, I suppose there are some people who have weird readings of the canons that make them doubt baptisms outside the visible bounds of Orthodoxy, I have to at least pretend to respect their views, but I do admit it's not at all analogous to the clear-cut scriptural witness about marriage.

 

[rusmeister]

We have no doubt that such people are married. If we do perform a marriage service for them, it's blessing an existing marriage. What God has brought together, let no man put asunder. And it would be profoundly weird to read the exhortations of St Paul about convert marriage any other way. In the case of baptism, I suppose there are some people who have weird readings of the canons that make them doubt baptisms outside the visible bounds of Orthodoxy, I have to at least pretend to respect their views, but I do admit it's not at all analogous to the clear-cut scriptural witness about marriage.

I agree with this completely, except for the “weird readings” remark regarding concerns about non-Orthodox baptism. There are now excellent reasons to doubt heterodox baptisms in a world where some try to turn God into a Mother instead of a Father, and invent all kinds of crazy things wildly divorced from our conception of baptism. That’s why I suppose it has largely been left to the bishops to decide.

The difference, as I see it, is that marriage was instituted by God long before the Church was. It predates the Church, and while baptism is specifically about becoming one with the Body of Christ, marriage is about becoming one with another human being. So I generally agree with you here.

 

[jas3]

And it would be profoundly weird to read the exhortations of St Paul about convert marriage any other way.

This is a good point, and it makes me think my original question may have been getting at the wrong thing. There seems to be a distinction made between sacramental marriage and non-sacramental marriage, e.g. The Sacrament of Marriage and its Impediments - Official Advance Documents - Ecumenical Patriarchate: Holy and Great Council

In that case, it makes sense that a non-Orthodox marriage wouldn't be considered "no marriage at all," but would still be in need of blessing by the Church.

 

[ArmyMatt]

In that case, it makes sense that a non-Orthodox marriage wouldn't be considered "no marriage at all," but would still be in need of blessing by the Church.

and if marriage outside of the Church is nothing, we’d have to say that any children had by a faithful couple was done out of wedlock. there isn’t any evidence I have seen to support that.

 

[FreeinChrist]

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