If an attractive women that was a former sex-worker becomes a Christian woman would you date her and consider marriage with her ?
This gets into questions on the topic of what "marriage" is.
I would be careful to separate what it is that creates a lifelong bond,
that the Apostle Paul identifies with the "marriage" passage in Genesis.
Paul is saying that ANY heterosexual sex (in Corinthians) creates that
lifelong bond that we identify with the genesis passage about marriage.
If this is true (I believe that it is), then all who have had any heterosexual
sex, are no longer "single" (in American lingo). This would mean that there
are very few adults in America, who are "single" as Paul would think of
"marriage".
Admittedly, many American Christians do not believe this.
If you DO believe Paul, then the answer depends on whether the person
you are interested in marrying, has had heterosexual sex. If so, and their
partner(s) are still love, then they are not "single". And if you married
them legally, you would be engaging in an abnormal form of marriage,
in Paul's understanding.
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There are those who believe that the secular state defines what legal marriage
is. And that THAT defines what Christian marriage is. This has never been an
acceptable view of "marriage" in Christianity. In Roman culture, husbands and
wives could agree to divorce each other, and then be considered "single". This
is forbidden by Jesus, in the gospels. He forbids a man divorcing his wife, or
marrying a divorced woman.
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There are those who join the concept of "joining" to a Christian marriage
ceremony, which also includes other (good) vows. They see Christian
marriage as different than pagan marriage. I think that this position lumps
multiple topics together, and does not deal with the separate topic of
what causes the lifelong bond. Paul would say heterosexual sex. But this group
would argue that it is a Christian marriage ceremony (that creates this bond).
I don't know how this group would view "living together" (which many state
systems of law would call "common law marriage").
Also, I don't think that this group can properly explain how the Old Testament
considers polygyny to be an acceptable form of marriage, but not advisable.
Note that the Old Testament treats the children of polygynous marriages
as "legitimate". Many of the patriarchs of the 12 tribes of Israel, fall into
this category.
I don't see how this group can accept Paul's command that already married
hetero couples, when one becomes a Christian, can remain married, if the
other spouse will agree to live as a Christian.
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Note that the ancient Christian bishoprics have the concept that some of
the offices in a congregation should be filled only by men with at most
1 wife, or men who are celibate. And by "at most 1 wife" they are referring
to a lifetime. This would exclude some men who are put into these offices,
by congregations or denominations that are using a different understanding of
what "marriage" is.
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This may seem like a long answer. But I think that North American Christians
need to carefully reconsider what they are calling "marriage".
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23 That night, however, Jacob arose, took his two wives, with the two maidservants and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 24 After he got them and brought them across the wadi and brought over what belonged to him, 25 Jacob was left there alone. Then a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn.
New American Bible, Revised Edition. (Washington, DC: The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2011), Ge 32:23–25.
32 But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
New American Bible, Revised Edition. (Washington, DC: The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2011), Mt 5:32.
[Note that the Catholic translation understands that a marriage document, can be illegal according to God's law.]
15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take Christ’s members and make them the members of a prostitute? Of course not! 16 [Or] do you not know that anyone who joins himself to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For “the two,” it says, “will become one flesh.”
New American Bible, Revised Edition. (Washington, DC: The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2011), 1 Co 6:15–16.
31 “For this reason a man shall leave [his] father and [his] mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.”
New American Bible, Revised Edition. (Washington, DC: The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2011), Eph 5:31.
The topic of "marriage" in the Bible, should not be confused with popular American
lingo, that asserts what a "marriage" is.
To the married, however, I give this instruction (not I, but the Lord): A wife should not separate from her husband 11 —and if she does separate she must either remain single or become reconciled to her husband—and a husband should not divorce his wife.
12 To the rest I say (not the Lord): if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she is willing to go on living with him, he should not divorce her; 13 and if any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he is willing to go on living with her, she should not divorce her husband. 14 For the unbelieving husband is made holy through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy through the brother. Otherwise your children would be unclean, whereas in fact they are holy.
15 If the unbeliever separates, however, let him separate. The brother or sister is not bound in such cases; God has called you to peace. 16 For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband; or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?
New American Bible, Revised Edition. (Washington, DC: The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2011), 1 Co 7:10–16.
