Small church advantage: "Everybody knows everybody" but is that necessarily a good thing?

[Phil W]

No one said they couldn't marry.

Of course they marry.

They just don't marry their sisters, aunts, or nieces. Including those related by sacrament as well as blood.

I'm still looking for solid date evidence but it appears it's been a Christian practice for at least 17 centuries, and perhaps longer.

OT Jewish law forbids a man from marrying his father's wife, for example, and this is a relationship not by blood but a created one due to ties of marriage. Perhaps that's the precedent but I'm only speculating. Still looking for hard info.[/QUOTE]
We can 'picture' Christians as bros or sisters, but to fail to endorse marriage between the two is a bit "off".
The church is the bride of Christ...right?
Are we not eventually "all" married together?

BTW, thank God for the end of the OT Jewish Law.

 

[~Anastasia~]

We can 'picture' Christians as bros or sisters, but to fail to endorse marriage between the two is a bit "off".
The church is the bride of Christ...right?
Are we not eventually "all" married together?

BTW, thank God for the end of the OT Jewish Law.

You seem quite determined to disagree with what I've posted. That's fine. No offense.

Some of the OT Jewish law was directly handed down by God, and continues (usually in a stricter form) for Christians. We still don't murder, commit adultery, and so on. Marrying close relatives could well be a similar prohibition.

Of course all are brothers and sisters in Christ. The purpose of creating close bonds are to provide spiritual mentorship, an assurance that children will be raised in the faith, an assurance that children will be cared for as if by their own parents if the parents die, and widening family embrace.

At any rate, it wasn't my idea. Some time within the earliest centuries the Christian Church was already doing this, and regarded it as wisdom from the Holy Spirit.

It's not a prohibition against any two Christians marrying. I hope you aren't misunderstanding me. But if a person takes the responsibility of a spiritual parent for a person being baptized - they cannot marry that child, nor that child's natural parent, nor marry their natural child to that baptized child. Just in case you thought I was saying something else.

Peace to you.

 

[Paidiske]

I think it might help if I use the language of the west, and say that Anastasia is saying that in effect, the Orthodox church treats the relationships with godparents as if they were biological parents.

To the best of my knowledge such prohibitions on marriage between someone and the relatives of their godparents are no longer observed in the west (certainly not in my church). We also do not expect godparents to take on the responsibilities of guardians of minor children if their parents die.

Edited to add: More on topic, every church size has advantages and disadvantages. I don't think there's anything wrong with identifying what size/style church suits your personality and spirituality. But sometimes there can be valuable growth in challenging yourself to be outside your comfort zone a bit...

 

[Phil W]

You seem quite determined to disagree with what I've posted. That's fine. No offense.
Some of the OT Jewish law was directly handed down by God, and continues (usually in a stricter form) for Christians. We still don't murder, commit adultery, and so on. Marrying close relatives could well be a similar prohibition.

Members of the church are not our relatives.

Of course all are brothers and sisters in Christ. The purpose of creating close bonds are to provide spiritual mentorship, an assurance that children will be raised in the faith, an assurance that children will be cared for as if by their own parents if the parents die, and widening family embrace.

That is also the reason we don't marry OUTside the church.

At any rate, it wasn't my idea. Some time within the earliest centuries the Christian Church was already doing this, and regarded it as wisdom from the Holy Spirit.

That is not the early church I am part of.

It's not a prohibition against any two Christians marrying.

I'm glad to hear.

I hope you aren't misunderstanding me. But if a person takes the responsibility of a spiritual parent for a person being baptized - they cannot marry that child, nor that child's natural parent, nor marry their natural child to that baptized child. Just in case you thought I was saying something else.

My only Spiritual 'parent' is God.
I feel your doctrine is a return to law keeping.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Members of the church are not our relatives.


That is also the reason we don't marry OUTside the church.


That is not the early church I am part of.


I'm glad to hear.


My only Spiritual 'parent' is God.
I feel your doctrine is a return to law keeping.

As you wish. You seem to misunderstand on a few points but I think I've explained already (?) and have no desire to debate these matters. Not much point in me continuing, especially since it's become an unintentional derail (sorry OP!).

Except ... I don't know which early Church you mean otherwise. There was only one at the time.

 

[~Anastasia~]

We also do not expect godparents to take on the responsibilities of guardians of minor children if their parents die.

I guess I can understand if godparents aren't expected to raise the children in the parents' absence. That can always be arranged separately these days (and often is).

But I'm curious? Do godparents then have any spiritual responsibility toward the child at all? At the very least, we would expect a godparent to pray for the child, try to assure they are brought up in the faith, take them to Church if possible and necessary, and be available to answer questions and offer spiritual help if asked, even if they don't take on an active role of discipling the children? (Much is of course depending on need and on the desires of the natural parents, but that's a general expectation.)

 

[Mountainmanbob]

Some don't attend church because, they say that churches are full of hypocrites.

Well if that is the case we should all feel right at home there.

Sometimes man thinks he is a little better than the one down the road-- common tendency to be a little puffed up in ones self.

M-Bob