Pagan Rings

The wedding march that is usually played is from a dark play.

A lot of our wedding traditions are merely secular or had pagan roots...

I don't have time to look them up now.. they are in my file cabinet in my office... I have some Christmas things to do... but maybe after the new year, I will.

 

NO, there is nothing in the Bible...

 

Yup. Just like there is nothing in the Bible that prevents a Christian from decorating with a Christmas, oops I mean pagan tree.

While we are at it, I suppose we should not use music in our worship either since pagans did the same things. Or how bout keep candles in the house since I am sure they have been used in pagan practices as well. Oh and there is meat, since that was sacrificed to idols we should never eat it and there is...

Excellent post btw Roger. You illustrate the point well.

 

Wow... that is all I can say.

 

:laugh: :laugh:

NOW THAT IS FUNNY!!! (You are being sarcastic, right)

 

Whoever made this statement is wrong.
First it applies to Israelites only; not the NT believer.
Second, the Lord gives a picture of a wedding here:

Isaiah 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

He speaks of the bride and the bride and the bridegroom. The event is future. But he does speak of "ornaments" and "jewels." To be sure one cannot tell if, in those ornaments and jewels, there was a ring. But it was possible.

The eastern women were very fond of their nose rings.

 

1. I see no hard evidence that it is pagan.
2. The wedding ceremony is just that, a ceremony.
3. It is not particularly religious in nature; it may be done before a justice of the peace.
4. A ring is not necessary; it is your tradition to have a ring. You can do away with it if you wish. You are not bound to have a ring, but it is not wise to do that in our society.
5. The wedding is a public declaration: before God and before man, that this couple is becoming man and wife.
6. There were no rings in the OT; there need not be now.
7. But now, as far as I am concerned, the ring on my wife's finger is a public declaration that she belongs to me. She is my wife. And when she is in public without me, everyone in our society knows that. It tells others that she is unavailable. It is a lot easier than wearing a burkah, which would give people the wrong idea--that she belongs to the Islamic religion, though that is their custom--not the ring. The ring indicates that she is married, not single. It is wise for a married woman in our culture to wear her ring. It has nothing to do with paganism.
8. Again, the ceremony is basically secular, even if it is held in a church. It is a man and a woman exchanging vows before man and God. There is nothing inherently religious about this. It is not celebrating the birth of Christ, the resurrection of Christ, or any other aspect of our worship to God. There is a big difference. The whole focus is around man and woman, not God.

 

I'm sorry, but I am not returning my gold band or the accompanying diamonds! Go ahead and call me worldly.

*ahem*

(although I don't think I'd cotton to being called a pagan . . .)

 

Marriage is a God ordained institution, not a Christian one.
Government is a God ordained institution, not a Christian one.
The government of Paul's day, Nero's government, one of the most wicked governments in history was ordained of God.

All of the Islamic governments of today are ordained of God. God put them in place. If we live in such a place, we are to submit to their ordinances, according to Romans 13. This is a New Testament command.

The marriage is a union between one man and one woman. It always was and always will be. "Jesus said concerning divorce "from the beginning it was not so." He said: "What God has joined together let no man put asunder." It is a union. But that union is performed by man, not God.
It can be performed by a justice of the peace.
It can be performed by a Muslim cleric.
It can be performed by a Sikh priest.

The union of one man and one woman was a command given to every man and woman on the earth, not just to Christians. Marriage is not an exclusive Christian institution. It is for all people. It was incorporated into the laws of our nation, and we aren't even a Christian nation. It is incorporated into the laws of other nations that are not even built on Christian principles. It is God's institution for all men and women, just as government is.

The fact that God will use some of the characteristics of a Godly marriage: its purity, sacrifice, etc. to compare it to Christ and the church, has no bearing on this subject. Marriage is for all people, not just for Christians. To say otherwise is ridiculous.

 

Surely DHK you are not making fun of C4K's convictions by calling them ridiculous are you?

 

No, to say that marriage (or imply) that marriage is only for Christians (and perhaps Israelites) is ridiculous.

 

madre's Grandfather was a Nazarene preacher. He never wore a wedding band. Come to think of it, he never wore a watch either. madre, on the other hand, does not share in her Grandfather's conviction. My mother left her engagement ring to madre. padre, being a good-hearted sort got the diamond reset and the orginal wedding ring resized.

After paying that bill I wish I had read about the pagan practice of rings before I went to the jewelers. I could've saved a handful of C-notes. :thumbs:

 

I think this is the key. The ring is only a symbol of paganism if that's what you make it. Rings in and of itself is not a symbol of anything.

Like music, there are pagan songs and there a Christian songs. Pagan use candles yet Jesus used a candle to symbolize the light of the Gospel. Meat can be sacrificed to pagan gods yet God called for innocent blood be shed.... He likewise provided a ram in the bush.

My ring is a wedding ring and a symbol of my committed relationship with my wife.

 

You are quite correct.

 

Of course he is correct,

That is why this line of logic should be applied to other issues as well.

The meaning of the object is in the person using the object.

The meaning behind my wedding ring is my devotion to my wife...