Alex Frantz at Public Nuisance discusses how the Bible defines traditional marriage:

Marriage in the United States shall consist of a union between one man and one or more women. (Gen. 29, 17 – 28; II Sam. 3, 2 – 5)

Marriage shall not impede a man’s right to take concubines in addition to his wife or wives. (II Sam. 5:13; I Kings 11:3; II Chron 11:21)

A marriage shall be considered valid only if the wife is a virgin. If the wife is not a virgin, she shall be executed. (Deut. 22, 13 – 21)

Marriage of a believer and a non-believer shall be forbidden. (Gen 24:3; Num 25 1 – 9; Ezra 9:12; Neh. 10:30)

Since marriage is for life, neither this Constitution nor the constitution of any State, nor state or federal law, shall be construed to permit divorce. (Deut 22:19; Mark 10:9)

If a married man dies without children, his brother shall marry the widow. If he refuses to marry his brother’s widow or deliberately does not give her children, he shall pay a fine of one shoe and be otherwise punished in a manner to be determined by law. (Gen. 38 6 – 10; Deut 25 5 – 10)

Frantz’s point, of course, is to challenge the religious right’s claim to own the definition of “marriage.”

Frantz admits his approach is a bit weak on Biblical scholarship. But then so is the political religious right’s approach to the Bible.

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