Marrying an unbeliever.

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Discussing the topic of "marrying an unbeliever" as a heresy is a bit convoluted with the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox church, as from an Evangelical / Protestant / true Christian view to "believe in" Jesus in Greek means "to trust in and rely upon" Jesus for your salvation, which Catholics and the Orthodox do not do, thus they are not believers in the first place, and neither are their followers, except perhaps the probably relatively few who may have been born again as children believing a more by accident  than design a more simplified version of things they were taught who trusted in Jesus.

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The situation is however, if the Orthodox say they are true Christians (they do) and Christians can marry non Christians or dire heretic Christians, that is a very specific heresy because of their false claim of identity.

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The early church and new testament:

In ordinary circumstances the new testament absolutely forbids a Christian to marry an unbeliever. Period.

 

"Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?"

2 Corinthians 6:16.

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But does that necessarily mean having committed to the marriage it remains a sin to be in it? Evangelicals are perhaps divided on that topic. If God called you to be a missionary in a far distant land, and you ignored the call, would that mean everything you then do in your home country is then rendered a sin? Of course not, yet you still disobeyed. If two virgins marry in a mixed faith marriage, or two people who only ever had sex with each other, it seems harsh and even contradictory to say they can divorce and should remarry others, or stay perpetual celibates etc. You see how expansive the topic is? This is why it is best to keep things simple and not sin.

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Remember this is an entirely different situation that being saved in a situation where you are already married legally to an unbeliever, when you are commanded to stay married to that person.

The only area were Evangelicals would disagree is where fornication occurs, and also perhaps pregnancy. This latter "Catch 22" situation I will discuss at some other date. It is a very difficult issue where 3 subjects collide

a) Marrying an unbeliever 

b) Forbidding a fornicator to marry (that would perhaps be seen as breaking the "forbidding to marry" statement in 1 Timothy 4 by some).

c) Making fornication a sin without serious consequence.

I have not intention to deal with this complex issue here, other than to say the directive of Jesus in Matthew 5:32 is to keep your virginity before marriage, so you can avoid these type of controversies and difficult decisions.

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Roman Catholic heresy:

The Catholics have a good standard understanding of marriage in that they clearly, unequivocally and correctly translate the word "porneia" in cotect in Matthew 5:32 as "fornication" as does the KJV, and they further correctly state it i impossible given the context for the word to mean or include post marital adultery. 

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HOWEVER in order to keep their till ringing in donations, and preserve the long term volume in the religion they have created, the Catholics have invented several compromises to stop people being put in a position to choose romance above religion, and leave Catholicism. These include

 

1) Fake annulments of marriages.

2) Marrying unbelievers, heretics, and even worse heretics than themselves.

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Marrying unbeliever "rules" invented to keep people Catholic:

Inventing "rules" to justify marriage heresy is a double heresy. The compounding of error of Catholics pretending to be real Christians talking about real Christians further complicates this (remember).

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To keep people Catholic the Catholics have invented a heresy that real Christians can marry unbelievers and heretics if they follow these entirely heretical man made rules:

1) You cannot get married to the unbeliever/heretic outside of the Catholic Church.

2) If you do you must get the express permission of the bishop in the jurisdiction to marry under other rites.

3) "A Prenuptial Declaration of Promise" must be made if you are the Catholic in the marriage and you do marry in a Catholic Church. Which is to

a) Reconfirm your Catholicism and intention to remain one.

b) To respect and honour the conscience of the person they are marrying.

c) To confirm the Catholic will do every they can to have any children from the marriage educated and infant sprinkled as Catholics.

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The way this series of clearly man made heretical rules and compromises is justified by many Catholics, and probably therefore the Popes and Cardinals themselves also, it to see this "as not a sin issue but a wisdom issue" (another heresy in itself - it is a new testament law issue)

To prove this see so called "Father Mike" Youtube: (link =)

Can a Catholic Marry a Non-Catholic? https://youtu.be/hGd4lefcsBE

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Does the Eastern Orthodox Religion have the same heresy as Catholics?

As the Orthodox are far more furtive and evasive and far less willing to be clear on doctrinal issues such as this, I have yet to confirm one way or the other if they have similar heretical get out clauses and man made regulations.

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