Marriage & Religion

I've never really been to a wedding. As I watched the royal wedding a few nights ago, I realized just how much it all revolves around God and religion. It really made me wonder...what about Atheists and Agnostics? Do we really have to put up with all the religious crap if we want to get married? I personally don't care about labels...all that matters to me is that my partner loves me. I don't need a legal contract or devotion to God in order to form some sort of meaningful relationship with a person. Nevertheless, I'm sure many people like the whole idea of marriage, but they aren't religious people. So I'm just wondering, what are the options for such people?

my opinion is that there is a difference between legal and spiritual marriage. both serve a purpose. i think it is a personal choice what people want to do.

An ordained minister and a location of your choosing, or if in Nevada the little white chapel.

Originally posted by CanYouHandleTheTruth
I've never really been to a wedding. As I watched the royal wedding a few nights ago, I realized just how much it all revolves around God and religion. It really made me wonder...what about Atheists and Agnostics? Do we really have to put up with all the religious crap if we want to get married? I personally don't care about labels...all that matters to me is that my partner loves me. I don't need a legal contract or devotion to God in order to form some sort of meaningful relationship with a person. Nevertheless, I'm sure many people like the whole idea of marriage, but they aren't religious people. So I'm just wondering, what are the options for such people?

Well, I think for legal reasons (wills, insurances, benefits etc.) you need to at least have documentation for that stuff, but you dont have to do it through a priest. You can do it through something like a Justice of the Peace.

People still like the ceremony part just to make the occasion that more significant i think, since its a pretty important day in ones life.

reply to post by CanYouHandleTheTruth


Um, you can lay out your wedding however you want. You don't have to follow the religious view on how to do things. I am a christian, so I would follow the traditional wedding vows. LOL

Ok, thanks for the answers. I guess the wedding would kind of suck for a lot of people if you skipped all the traditional religious stuff. I just really can't stand that sort of stuff. Eh...lucky I don't plan on ever getting married.

Originally posted by CanYouHandleTheTruth
Ok, thanks for the answers. I guess the wedding would kind of suck for a lot of people if you skipped all the traditional religious stuff. I just really can't stand that sort of stuff. Eh...lucky I don't plan on ever getting married.

I think sometimes i will never get married and ceremonies are not most important, then i go and daydream about a HUGE grandiose wedding. do what is right for you at your station in life.

...but do it for the right reasons. Be truthful in your acknowledgments and the reasons why.

spiritual reasons, tradition, giving someone security or simply for the beauty of it all... do it for the reasons you agree upon.

Originally posted by CanYouHandleTheTruth
Ok, thanks for the answers. I guess the wedding would kind of suck for a lot of people if you skipped all the traditional religious stuff. I just really can't stand that sort of stuff. Eh...lucky I don't plan on ever getting married.

From what ive read the rituals and ceremony was always there but once the roman catholic church became more spread, a marriage required priest blessing. The two just became intertwined.

reply to post by CanYouHandleTheTruth


Well, if you want to have a "big" semi traditional wedding without the religion part you could have it outside or at a hall, and have someone you know be "ordained" (they can do it online......they approved Tori Spelling so it can't be difficult) or you pay a judge or various other public servants are able to perform a wedding. Or you could just go to the court house or Vegas and then a big reception, I actually know a lot of people that have done that, especially if they had a destination wedding.

When I married my first wife, we had a $10,000 ceremony with all the religious trimmings (her family was hyper-religious... but not I).

My second wife and I got married at a justice of the peace and had our reception at a local go-kart place and played mini golf. That was a fun one and cost us less than $100. I remember more from this one than I do the first lol

"Marriage" is originally a religious concept, so has its trappings stuck there, for the most part. But because of the way that income tax/etc is figured, it's better to adapt those ceremonies into a secular way, as well

In the end it's all the same.. you get a piece of paper saying you're together, and that's about it.

Shoot, in some states, you don't even need that... it's called a Common Law Marriage

In some states in the United States you don't even have a choice. If you live together as man and wife the state considers you to be married. Under common law marriage you are subjected to things like alimony and division of property. I had a neighbor that had to sell his home and give half the money to his girlfriend because they were already a couple when he bought it. They both worked but she spent most of her money on drugs, boob jobs, and plastic surgery. They say everything is bigger in Texas but her boobs were ridiculous.

You don't have to be religious or even spiritual to have a marriage or even one beyond making it legal in court. You and your spouse to be have every right to choose what you want due to your beliefs.

No God = No atheist

atheist are just lost souls that reject to be found.

They are going to hell, because they are lost in gray matter. Blinded by the light

reply to post by 420CUMMINS


That's okay. You can send me to any imaginary place you like. By the way, do people in heaven enjoy seeing the people they loved in hell?

Of course atheists can have secular ceremonies, OP. Lots of people don't have the traditional wedding stuff even if they are religious.