Rationale Behind Original Marriage

[TheUbiquitous]

[size=4][font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif][color=#333333]Pet theory regarding why woman was created for man: "It is not good for man to be alone," said God who, in his foreknowledge, knew man would corrupt his own nature.[/color]

[color=#333333]New Testament support: "[/color]For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife; and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the believing husband: otherwise your children should be unclean; but now they are holy."[color=#001320][background=rgb(249, 253, 255)] ([/background][/color][color=#333333]1 Corinthians 7:14)[/color]

[color=#333333]Any thoughts?[/color][/font][/size]

Edited August 30, 2012 by TheUbiquitous

[phatcatholic]

That's not just a pet theory, it's pretty much the consensus on the matter. Eve was created b/c it's not good for man to be alone. Note that when God saw the loneliness of man, His answer was not another man, or three women, or a dog. He made one woman. In the creation of Eve we see God's design for marriage: One man, one woman.

[TheUbiquitous]

Well, why I may have falsely believed it to be a pet theory is because it goes farther than that consensus.

It is not so much because Adam would have been lonely in Eden --- how could Adam be lonely in Eden? --- but because Adam would have been lonely when exiled from Eden that Eve was made. [b]God knew that Adam would be exiled from Eden[/b], so in part to prepare him for [b]that loneliness[/b], Eve was made.

So, in retrospect, I worry that this is heterodox.

[Egidio]

I never have time to respond as i would like!
But just one point for now..lonely and alone are not the same thing.

AVE MARIA!

[carmenchristi]

I agree with Egidio. It is not good for man to be [i]alone. [/i]Why? Because man is created in the image and likeness of God. God is a Trinity, a community, a family in Himself. So even in the goodness and perfection of Eden, it was not good for man to be alone because he was lacking in himself that triune attribute that is proper to God. Man is - in a way - further divinified through the creation of Eve because he is now able to reflect the three-in-one of God namely God-Man-Wife.

I do understand what your theory suggests. Of course God knew that the Fall would happen, but I do not believe that this was the main reason behind the creation of woman. If this were the case, why didn't God give them clothes right off the bat too? The sharing in a divine attribute is a much loftier reason (for both man and woman) than is the satisfaction of a human need. The satisfaction of that need is important, especially after the fall because man no longer has that direct contact with God. He would indeed be too lonely, probably to the point of despair, but this isn't the main idea of marriage - filling the loneliness of solitude. So you can see that in the first point of view, the dignity of man is raised up to God by God. I don't think that your theory is heterodox, but I believe that it can be, at most, secondary.

[carmenchristi]

Could you better explain your reasoning in applying 1Cor 7:14 to this particular context?

Edited August 31, 2012 by carmenchristi

[emmaberry]

[quote name='phatcatholic' timestamp='1346386436' post='2476585']
Note that when God saw the loneliness of man, [b][u]His answer was not another man, or three women, or a dog[/u][/b].
[/quote]

[Tab'le De'Bah-Rye]

[quote name='TheUbiquitous' timestamp='1346365988' post='2476437']
[size=4][font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif][color=#333333]Pet theory regarding why woman was created for man: "It is not good for man to be alone," said God who, in his foreknowledge, knew man would corrupt his own nature.[/color]

[color=#333333]New Testament support: "[/color]For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife; and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the believing husband: otherwise your children should be unclean; but now they are holy."[color=#001320][background=rgb(249, 253, 255)] ([/background][/color][color=#333333]1 Corinthians 7:14)[/color]

[color=#333333]Any thoughts?[/color][/font][/size]
[/quote]

Nice one Is this meaning that when the husband or wife doubts, the other will hold the other one up. Or is it saying we don't have to marry a believer. ?

Edited September 1, 2012 by Tab'le Du'Bah-Rye

[TheUbiquitous]

[quote name='carmenchristi' timestamp='1346422323' post='2476674']
I agree with Egidio. It is not good for man to be [i]alone. [/i]Why? Because man is created in the image and likeness of God. God is a Trinity, a community, a family in Himself. So even in the goodness and perfection of Eden, it was not good for man to be alone because he was lacking in himself that triune attribute that is proper to God. Man is - in a way - further divinified through the creation of Eve because he is now able to reflect the three-in-one of God namely God-Man-Wife.
[/quote]

Wouldn't the family be a closer image of the trinity than God-Man-Wife? Woman proceeds from man, and child proceeds from Man and Woman; compare this to the Trinity.


[quote name='carmenchristi' timestamp='1346423358' post='2476688']
Could you better explain your reasoning in applying 1Cor 7:14 to this particular context?
[/quote]

Perhaps. While any scripture which points to the sanctification of one human by God acting through another human would also work, this one fits better in particular because it points out the sanctification of a man by his wife.

Especially worth noting, and I only just thought of this, is that the foundation for this sanctification may happen [b][i]before [/i][/b]either is even Christian, in the marital union outside the Church. That it happens before is important because it shows that God plans farther ahead than we do, often including an element of our sanctification in our lives before we realize we even need it.

[quote name='carmenchristi' timestamp='1346422323' post='2476674']The sharing in a divine attribute is a much loftier reason (for both man and woman) than is the satisfaction of a human need. The satisfaction of that need is important, especially after the fall because man no longer has that direct contact with God. He would indeed be too lonely, probably to the point of despair, but this isn't the main idea of marriage - filling the loneliness of solitude. So you can see that in the first point of view, the dignity of man is raised up to God by God. I don't think that your theory is heterodox, but I believe that it can be, at most, secondary.
[/quote]

I am happy to concede to back down a bit, admitting that this is at most a secondary reasoning of God. This said, there's some kind of meditation to be had here:

"Filling the loneliness of solitude" ties in wonderfully with "sanctifying the husband," mirroring the dual purpose of the marital union as unitive and procreative.

(Intercourse also solves the original problem of clothes, but that's neither here nor there.)

Edited September 3, 2012 by TheUbiquitous

[carmenchristi]

Thank you for your observations. I am enjoying this conversation and am happy to reflect... I started to respond, but I think I'd better leave it for later since I'm pretty tired, but I do have some more to say!

[Slappo]

[quote name='TheUbiquitous' timestamp='1346391502' post='2476618']
Well, why I may have falsely believed it to be a pet theory is because it goes farther than that consensus.

It is not so much because Adam would have been lonely in Eden --- how could Adam be lonely in Eden? --- but because Adam would have been lonely when exiled from Eden that Eve was made. [b]God knew that Adam would be exiled from Eden[/b], so in part to prepare him for [b]that loneliness[/b], Eve was made.

So, in retrospect, I worry that this is heterodox.
[/quote]

The only concern I have for this is it sounds like the creation of woman was only due to God knowing that the fall was inevitable, and not because the creation of woman is good in and of itself. That would beg the question, if Adam were never to fall, would Eve ever have been created? I think the answer is a resounding yes.

[LouisvilleFan]

[quote name='TheUbiquitous' timestamp='1346391502' post='2476618']
Well, why I may have falsely believed it to be a pet theory is because it goes farther than that consensus.

It is not so much because Adam would have been lonely in Eden --- how could Adam be lonely in Eden? --- but because Adam would have been lonely when exiled from Eden that Eve was made. [b]God knew that Adam would be exiled from Eden[/b], so in part to prepare him for [b]that loneliness[/b], Eve was made.

So, in retrospect, I worry that this is heterodox.
[/quote]

From what little I've read or heard about theology of the Fall, etc, the part in bold is debateable. I think there's an old a Dominican vs. Franciscan debate on the question of whether the Fall was predestined by necessity due to the gift of free will, i.e. Adam clearly had the choice to obey and he could have chosen to do so. Maybe it's fine to speculate, long as you know it's speculating.

What is certain is Eve completes the image of God in humanity. It wouldn't matter so much if Adam was going to sin or not. Even if he did not sin, he would need to live with Eve in order to be in the image of God.

[TheUbiquitous]

[quote name='LouisvilleFan' timestamp='1347421492' post='2481559']
What is certain is Eve completes the image of God in humanity. It wouldn't matter so much if Adam was going to sin or not. Even if he did not sin, he would need to live with Eve in order to be in the image of God.
[/quote]

Further reading on that point?

[LouisvilleFan]

[quote name='TheUbiquitous' timestamp='1347742511' post='2482771']
Further reading on that point?
[/quote]

Theology of the Body, but I'm not sure more specifically. I reckon anywhere JPII expounds on the verse "man and woman He created them, in the image of God He created them."