Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to question long-accepted myths about the sanctity of marriage.
If you are preparing to get ordained, you may be pondering the moral and philosophical nuances of traditional marriage. The deeper you look, the more you may find that your ideas about marriage, and what you take for granted about the history of the institution, may have been subtly influenced in ways of which you weren’t aware.

Marriage Inequality

Similar to modern protests against marriage equality

Conservatives have long condemned same-sex marriage on the grounds that marriage has always been defined as being between one man and one woman. Often, they’ll turn to the Christian bible to back up those claims. But many enlightened Christians, themselves well versed in the Bible, have come to the conclusion that this is not the case.
Instances of gay marriage have been documented as far back as ancient Rome. In addition, in 11th century Spain, two men were married by a priest in a chapel. In Victorian England, same-sex cohabitation was so common it was nicknamed a “Boston marriage.” Today, same-sex marriages are embraced in Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, South Africa, Norway, Sweden, Portugall, Iceland, Argentina, Brazil, France, Uruguay, New Zealand, England, Wales, Mexico and in several American states.
In much the same way that critics have opposed gay marriage (and often using identical arguments),they have opposed other forms of marriage, including interracial marriage. Indeed, it wasn’t until 1967 that interracial marriage was accepted into law in the United States—even then, the Supreme Court’s decision to change discriminatory laws against mixed marriages was a controversial one, and there are still critics of it today.
Even before the so-called “anti-miscegenation” laws were lifted, interracial marriages among black and white people did occur, though they were not always embraced. One of the more famous pre-1967 mixed marriages was between Sammy Davis, Jr., the famous and beloved African-American entertainer and “Rat Pack” member, and May Britt, a white, Swedish actress, in 1960.

Sister Wives and Chattel

Polygamy, too, has gone in and out of vogue. In the Bible, there are several instances of polygamy, which was an everyday practice, especially among the wealthy. Some believe the practice was condoned by the Hebrew and Christian faiths.
2 Samuel 12:7,8 states “And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; And I gave thee thy master’s house and they master’s wives into thy bosom and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah, and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.”
In this passage, multiple wives seem to be given with God’s blessing as a gift and reward.

Here come the brides!

In other books of the Bible, passages give directives prohibiting multiple wives. 1 Timothy states “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife.” But upon closer inspection, those passages seem only to pertain to the elders of the church, including deacons and bishops.
Polygamy was an accepted practice throughout history in places as varied as Nepal, China, India and Africa, and continues to be so today in more than 1,000 societies around the world, according to the Ethnographic Atlas.Even today, in the United States, certain sects of the Mormon faith support polygamy. A real-life American polygamous family stars in a reality show on the TLC network called “Sister Wives.”
Instances of concubines are likewise well documented, going as far back as Genesis, though followers are later urged to marry their concubines to legitimize them. Not only were women kept as concubines and slaves, they were also treated as property. Throughout the Old Testament, women were not permitted to appear in public venues, testify in court, talk to strangers or leave their homes without their father or husband’s permission.
Even throughout the history of Christianity, the idea of marriage has perpetually evolved, and it continues to do so today. Variations in values and positions have not been linear, chronological progressions either. Mindsets have ebbed and flowed throughout the centuries.

Freedom Going Forward

The aim of the Universal Life Church is to embrace evolutionary thinking. The church truly embraces all faiths and supports freedom of religion for all who practice it, who are agnostic, atheist or who choose to refrain from aligning with religion at all.
Those who get ordained by the Universal Life Church are not required to perform a wedding of any kind or conduct any marriage ceremony against their wishes or beliefs, but they can legally officiate any marriage ceremony that is lawfully recognized by the state in which they perform a wedding.