Are Open Marriages More Successful Than Traditional Couplings?

Reba said:
Nothing about husbands treating wives like property.

Ephesians 5:21-33
21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. 22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
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Submit to husbands...:hmm:

Why cant the men submit to their wives?
 
shel90 said:
Submit to husbands...:hmm:

Why cant the men submit to their wives?
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Because the husband submits to Christ. That's the chain of command, so to speak. It doesn't mean the husband is allowed to take advantage of the wife or abuse her in any way.

Don't miss this verse: "Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God."

Also, the passage says that wives submit to their own husbands. That means, women don't have to submit to other men, such as in the business or political world.
 
Reba said:
Nothing about husbands treating wives like property.

Ephesians 5:21-33
21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. 22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
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Wow.. you and I see this paragraph COMPLETELY differently....... Oh well, such is life isn't it?
 
Reba said:
Because the husband submits to Christ. That's the chain of command, so to speak. It doesn't mean the husband is allowed to take advantage of the wife or abuse her in any way.

Don't miss this verse: "Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God."

Also, the passage says that wives submit to their own husbands. That means, women don't have to submit to other men, such as in the business or political world.
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Who says that treating them like property means they treat them bad? Does a man treat his Porsche bad?
 
Daredevel7 said:
Who says that treating them like property means they treat them bad? Does a man treat his Porsche bad?
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This is how a husband is supposed to treat his wife:

"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it...."
 
Reba said:
This is how a husband is supposed to treat his wife:

"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it...."
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I'm sorry, what does that even mean? Too generic for me. Might as well say "Love your wives as the sun shines on Earth."

I don't meant to insult the Bible, but that's how it sounds to me.
 
Daredevel7 said:
I'm sorry, what does that even mean? Too generic for me. Might as well say "Love your wives as the sun shines on Earth."

I don't meant to insult the Bible, but that's how it sounds to me.
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The verse is very specific, not generic. It doesn't say, "Love your wives as the sun shines on Earth." It says to love your wife as Christ loved the church. Christ loved the people (who would become the body of the church) so much that he endured suffering and death for them. That means, a husband should be willing to endure suffering and death for his wife, if necessary.
 
*sighs*

Can we keep the Bible out of it? It all depends on what religion, what church doctrine you follow and what translation of the Bible is being used. Two different Bibles, equally just as important, can contradict each others depending on how the translator interprets the original words.

Anyway, my opinion of open marriage? I don't agree with it. I won't agree that humans are meant to be in monogamous relationship for life, but I do believe in monogamous relationship in regard for safety for both side of the relationship in regard to diseases, legal rights, unintended negative emotions and so on. So I may not settle down for life, but I won't go playing around with other people.
 
souggy said:
*sighs*

Can we keep the Bible out of it? It all depends on what religion, what church doctrine you follow and what translation of the Bible is being used. Two different Bibles, equally just as important, can contradict each others depending on how the translator interprets the original words.

Anyway, my opinion of open marriage? I don't agree with it. I won't agree that humans are meant to be in monogamous relationship for life, but I do believe in monogamous relationship in regard for safety for both side of the relationship in regard to diseases, legal rights, unintended negative emotions and so on. So I may not settle down for life, but I won't go playing around with other people.
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I agree with you about the Bible. Not everyone is entitled to follow it.
 
Babyblue said:
I agree.

Everyone is entitled to their beliefs.

If one do not like it. Don't do it.
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That is what I have been trying to say. The world has enough of criticism already! :D
 
shel90 said:
That is what I have been trying to say. The world has enough of criticism already! :D
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Yes, it does.


Freedom of speech, religion along with civil rights. Everyone just have to decide and do what they want.

It is not up to us to Judge anyways. It is up to the higher power to judge.
 
No one is being forced to follow anything.

American Christians do have First Amendment speech rights like everyone else.
 
Reba said:
No one is being forced to follow anything.

American Christians do have First Amendment speech rights like everyone else.
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Nobody is saying that they arent entitled to these rights. If that's how u felt, then I apologize for that but I just was just not understanding the strong opinions against people for what they do behind closed doors. That's all.
 
If two people are so self-centered and focused on their own desires,
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Right on.
The concept of open marriage SOUNDS good. But, the fact of the matter is that humans are very complex and confusing.
It does seem like a lot of the people who are into open marriages are kind of emotionally immature (like frat boy immature) or think that quanity is valued over quality. Maybe then a lot of them don't understand that you should be best friends ever with your SO, and just married them b/c they liked their looks or whatever.
 
deafdyke said:
Right on.
The concept of open marriage SOUNDS good. But, the fact of the matter is that humans are very complex and confusing.
It does seem like a lot of the people who are into open marriages are kind of emotionally immature (like frat boy immature) or think that quanity is valued over quality. Maybe then a lot of them don't understand that you should be best friends ever with your SO, and just married them b/c they liked their looks or whatever.
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What if they are socially immature but are really happy in the marriage and as a result, their marriage lasts forever? IMO, I would say good for them!
 
our great experiment

Our society is an experimental one. Created within Christian culture and morals and a religion of Christianity that had gone through several major upheavals based on the advancement of the idea that the word and teaching is to be followed as it written.
The men of that time that laid the foundation and framework of our country were not religious men they were advanced thinkers in a time when it was a careful business. They were operating on two planes satisfying the overall culture of religious belief and setting in ink the beliefs of Thomas Paine into a
unique society based on the idea that each and everyone one of us has equal value. Very revolutionary stuff. At the same time the freedom of religious belief was equally as revolutionary. People had gone to all manner of horrible deaths at hands of the powerful for simply trying to practice the teachings in the Bible as closely as they could sort out of the text. So we have a parallel society that is united and separate at the same time. Separate in that there are two basic different beliefs intertwined in its framework. It no surprise at all that we have these collisions of belief. That the whole thing still works is just awesome. That we are able to have this conversation right now is proof of the continued success of our society not its
downfall.
 
early marriage is not for everyone

It is my belief that many people end up in the traditional marriage that should not be in it in the first place. At a later point in their lives or maybe at no point in there lives. There are many that it works the way it is supposed to work and to them I take my hat off. It is like any skill there are some who can learn to drive really well and responsibly early on. There are others that never will. And there are a whole bunch that get by without disaster but are not so good.
There are others who finally get control of themselves later in life. I am one of those. I thank God that I did not marry and did not destroy or devalue a marriage. As an older man I can keep up with one woman and one woman only. As a younger man I wanted them all. Now I want one. Maybe I am too simplistic and a weenie for not trying to get in the harness with a female and pull that plow straight and true as a young man. Polyamory and open marriage is someone else's idea not mine, I just look at it like," maybe it will work for them". If there are children I worry a little, they are not my children so not much. But it does seem like a private type of thing that I don't really need to know about.
 
Hehe, I think I am just too selfish to have that type of relationship (open marriage). If I ever get married, I would just like having husband to myself and knowing I am only one for him. And not having to worry about all sort of risks that come with open marriage such as diseases or pregnancy by someone else other than my husband.

If it makes them happy then it's their business, but yeah it's not for everyone.
 
I think that marriage is a religious institution. If your scripture says not to do something, well, don't you think you should follow it?

However, what does that leave for the non-religious? It's a social expectation in the US to be married by a certain age.

Personally, I do not plan on getting married unless a) their last name is super awesome or b) tax breaks are too good to pass up. I do not think it is necessary. Some people need that union...but I'm perfectly happy just being with the person.
 
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