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What marital vows to atheists give out?

Editbee

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Editbee

Editbee

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My atheist cousin is getting married next year and the guy is atheist too. This has me curious. If they don't believe in god nor want a religious ceremony, what vows do they say??

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CarrieT

CarrieT

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To love, honor and cherish each other.

 

Why does god have to enter into promising faith to another human being?

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Editbee

Editbee

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To love, honor and cherish each other.
Thank you for the answer

Why does god have to enter into promising faith to another human being?
It feels something new to me and doesn't really seems too romantic but ok whatever suits them.
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CarrieT

CarrieT

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It feels something new to me and doesn't really seems too romantic but ok whatever suits them.

 

Not sure why it doesn't seem romantic. The covenant of marriage doesn't have to be a proclamation to a deity to "love, honor, and cherish (or obey)" but to another human being.

 

Isn't that romantic enough? It is a pledge of fealty and loyalty - does attaching a deity make it more valid? I don't think so...

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RiverRunning

RiverRunning

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This is the entire ceremony we're planning on (we're also both atheists). I copied and pasted and meshed a few different ones together. I think most of ours has Native American ties.

 

I don't feel it's any less romantic because 'God' isn't in it. Some of ours have religious roots, but we just dropped any mentions of 'spirituality,' 'God,' etc. from it.

 

 

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Opening Words[/FONT]

 

 

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Good evening! We are gathered here today, not to witness the beginning of what will be, but rather what already is! We celebrate with (groom) and (bride), and their friends and families, the wondrous and joyful occurrence that has already taken place in their lives.[/FONT]

 

 

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]The Celebration Of Marriage[/FONT]

 

 

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Marriage is a supreme sharing of experience, and an adventure in the most intimate of human relationships. It is the joyous union of two people whose mutual understanding has flowered in romance. Today (groom) and (bride) proclaim their love and commitment to the world, and we gather here to rejoice, with and for them, in the new life they now undertake together.[/FONT]

 

 

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]To make this relationship work takes more than love. It takes trust, to know in your hearts that you want only the best for each other. It takes dedication, to stay open to one another, to learn and grow, even when it is difficult to do so. And it takes faith, to go forward together without knowing what the future holds for you both. This is not a destination, but a journey.[/FONT]

 

 

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Through this co-operation, we give ourselves, our lives and love. into the hands of the one we love. We do so trustingly and generously. And so, each of us receives a gift: the life and love of the other. We receive this gift, not only from the one we love, but also from the parents who brought us into the world, and from our friends and families as well.[/FONT]

 

 

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]And so as (groom) and (bride)'s friends and family, we are here to share with them this joy and hope, and to see them off on the path they will walk together. May it be a path with flowers of prosperity and spiritual awakening; a path of ever deepening, ever broadening love that they will travel, arm in arm. through out eternity.[/FONT]

 

 

 

 

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Vows:[/FONT]

 

 

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]"(Groom), do you take (Bride) to be your lawfully wedded wife? Will you love her, honor her, keep her, in sickness and in health?"[/FONT]

 

 

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]"I will."[/FONT]

 

 

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]"(Bride), do you take (Groom) to be your lawfully wedded husband? Will you love him, honor him, keep him, in sickness and in health?"[/FONT]

 

 

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]"I will."[/FONT]

 

 

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif](Pause after every few words in the next paragraph to allow each partner to repeat after you.)[/FONT]

 

 

 

 

 

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Officiant: (Bride/Groom's Name), repeat after me: I, (Bride/Groom's Name) take you, (Their Partner's Name), to be my husband/wife. I will love you, care for you, protect you and provide for you. I will spend time with you, laugh with you, cry with you, support you and encourage you, for all the days of my life. (x 2)[/FONT]

 

 

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif](Ceremony of the Rings)[/FONT]

 

 

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Traditionally, the marking- of the passage to husband and wife is marked by the exchange of rings. These rings are a symbol of the unbroken circle of love. Love freely given has no beginning and no end, no giver and no receiver for each is the giver and each is the receiver. May these rings always remind you of the vows you have taken. May I have the rings?[/FONT]

 

 

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif](Partners exchange rings).[/FONT]

 

 

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Officiant: I now pronounce you husband and wife. I would like to introduce to you - Mr. and Mrs. (Groom's Name). You may now kiss the bride.[/FONT]

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soccerrprp

soccerrprp

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My atheist cousin is getting married next year and the guy is atheist too. This has me curious. If they don't believe in god nor want a religious ceremony, what vows do they say??

 

Vows that promise that they will love, cherish each other in good and bad times MINUS mention of God. That simple.

 

People who get married in religious ceremonies cheat, divorce, abuse, as often as anyone else in society, so what difference does that make?

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pink_sugar

pink_sugar

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We had a nondenominational ceremony. We're not religious either and there were only a few mentions of god, not really a big deal as marriage ceremony originated as a religious sacrament. What I don't like and we omitted is the minister asking the audience to speak or forever hold your peace if you don't agree with the union and also the "Mr and Mrs. John Smith" thing. Too outdated for me.

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TaraMaiden

TaraMaiden

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My atheist cousin is getting married next year and the guy is atheist too. This has me curious. If they don't believe in god nor want a religious ceremony, what vows do they say??

Civil Ceremony.

usually conducted in a Registry Office, or in any other place except a place of worship.

Such ceremonies are absolutely NOT religious, but absolutely as binding, in the eyes of the law.

Funnily enough, you don't need any church involvement to get divorced - even if you married in church.....

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amaysngrace

amaysngrace

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Not sure why it doesn't seem romantic. The covenant of marriage doesn't have to be a proclamation to a deity to "love, honor, and cherish (or obey)" but to another human being.

 

Isn't that romantic enough? It is a pledge of fealty and loyalty - does attaching a deity make it more valid? I don't think so...

 

Well since the Ten Commandments do touch upon the rules of marriage, believers see that a marriage witnessed before God gives their vows more credibility.

 

Just sayin.

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pink_sugar

pink_sugar

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I agree, marriage ceremonies have always been touched on faith. In a way, marriage started as a religious sacrament, but people can do it any way they want now.

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TaraMaiden

TaraMaiden

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Er... no, they haven't.

Marriage ceremonies only 'got' religion in the 15th Century - and that's only because the Church found a way of making people pay more tithes towards the church....

 

They decreed that marriage should be sacrosanct, and decided God wanted people to give lots of money to the church coffers.

 

Sorry....I mean, get married 'in the eyes of god'....

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amaysngrace

amaysngrace

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Er... no, they haven't.

Marriage ceremonies only 'got' religion in the 15th Century - and that's only because the Church found a way of making people pay more tithes towards the church....

 

They decreed that marriage should be sacrosanct, and decided God wanted people to give lots of money to the church coffers.

 

Sorry....I mean, get married 'in the eyes of god'....

 

Actually that's incorrect. Jesus spoke of marriage. The sacrament of Holy Matrimony is as old as the Catholic religion.

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TaraMaiden

TaraMaiden

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Yes, and he turned the water into wine... at the marriage at Caana.

But marriage, as a Christian, church-held institution was not a common occurrence until the 15th century.

Besides which if we start talking about marriage, and Jesus, we have no way of verifying that such 'doctrine' is original, or put into his mouth at a later date. Marriages in those days were an entirely different state of affairs.

 

let's not go there......

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amaysngrace

amaysngrace

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But marriage, as a Christian, church-held institution was not a common occurrence until the 15th century.

..

 

Says who? Henry VII?

 

Jesus spoke of it and Saint Paul wrote of it in the New Testament.

 

But you are correct in that we don't need to go there. :)

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Silly_Girl

Silly_Girl

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When I marry again I want a humanist ceremony which will be very romantic and personalised and fun and have NAFF ALL to do with religion. It's not a legal ceremony here so beforehand we'll need to pop to the registry office. For that bit I'm happy for us to be in jeans and tshirt and pop for a pint after. Just us. That won't be the real ceremony, to me.

 

The claim of non-religious being 'less romantic' makes no sense to me. Some people marry because it's expected by their religion and I don't find that romantic at all - getting wed so some big, invisible man won't be angry with you? :confused:

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CarrieT

CarrieT

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Well since the Ten Commandments do touch upon the rules of marriage, believers see that a marriage witnessed before God gives their vows more credibility.

 

Just sayin.

 

So are you saying that Buddhists, Muslims, Hindu and Pagan's marriages are less credible because they are not aligned within a framework of a religious text that is meaningless to them?

 

I am not a Christian. Will my marriage (when it happens) be less credible?

 

Just askin... :mad::mad::mad:

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Trimmer

Trimmer

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Well since the Ten Commandments do touch upon the rules of marriage, believers see that a marriage witnessed before God gives their vows more credibility.

But the context of this thread is that two "non-believers" are getting married.

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