If marriage were the only way to propagate the human race there wouldn't be countless single parents out there. And many, because I know a few, inspired to make more because they literally are paid to breed as single mothers.
Talk about putting the stimulus in, stimulus checks!
Marriage is suppose to be between one man and one woman for the rest of their respective lives. The divorce rate among Christians shows we don't believe that so much.
I think we worry overmuch about what will God think. It's egoism and selfishness to the extreme I think to first believe God gave us his word, rightly discerned, to guide us in this life and world. And then in concert with that imagine he, besides the ridiculous idea gender applies to God, has nothing better to do than to watch our every little move.
He predestined all things according to his will and plan.
LET GO AND LET GOD!
But do we?
If you marry the wrong person, divorce! How fickle are we anyway? One one hand , one subject, some will argue, but that's only for the Jews! Because they disagree with whatever ""that"" is. On the other, when they're particularly committed to something in the Bible they'll insist, "but that's God's command!"
Fickle!
Talk about easy believ-ism. I'll believe this part of God's command because it comports with what I want to do. But I'll argue against that part of God's command because it isn't.
I knew a woman who bought into the nonsense of, till death us do part, because she was led to believe God didn't believe in divorce.
Her husband was a violent drunk and womanizer. She was faithful to the end. He, being he was a loser and a cheat, imagined she was as guilty as he was in that respect and one day when he picked her up from work, after downing the last can of his 6 pack no less, and saw her talking to her boss on the sidewalk outside work just before he pulled up , on the sidewalk and then driving off it because he was DUI, hubby thought they were having an affair.
That night, after making her get more beer on the way home, he beat her to death while she slept.
Oh, but don't you know, the pastor who advised her through "God's word", to pray and stay married to the brute because God abhorred divorce, gave her a lovely eulogy.
Marriage is to be between two people who love and respect one another and want to walk through life together and make the most of it, while sharing and exercising the talents and gifts each one has to make it the very best life together. And to make a difference in the world.
If they outgrow one another, that's God's way of telling two good people to move on and find love and be loved elsewhere. This way they can seed goodness and mercy all the days of their life by enhancing their and others lives together.
Nothing is so tragic at a funeral than to realize the one laying in that silk lined box actually died to the joy of living their life a long time before. Because they thought they had to live miserable to please God.