Would West be Better Off with Arranged Marriages?

[Norseman82]

An Indian coworker explained to me that the parental involvement goes more like this:

1. Parent notices that son/daughter is reaching a certain age and is still unmarried.
2. Parent asks son/daughter if they want parent’s help.
3. Son/daughter is free to say that they are not interested in the prospective spouse they introduce the son/daughter to.

Another interesting tidbit of trivia that I have heard regarding Indian culture: there is a custom that the younger siblings cannot marry until the older sibling does, so there is some pressure for the older sibling to find someone to marry.

 

[Norseman82]

Astrology is superstitious nonsense.

Plus a sin against the first commandment.

 

[Montrose]

Montrose:

Astrology is superstitious nonsense.

Plus a sin against the first commandment.

You are correct.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

• Parent notices that son/daughter is reaching a certain age and is still unmarried.
• Parent asks son/daughter if they want parent’s help.
• Son/daughter is free to say that they are not interested in the prospective spouse they introduce the son/daughter to.

That’s exactly what happened to one of my former friends who was from a different part of Asia.
The son was not doing too well at finding himself a wife in the USA.
Dad intervened and found him a nice girl from home country.
The son married the girl and they have now been married 20+ years and have a few kids.

 

[Montrose]

Biblical astronomy actually. The world scrambles the truth up with Greek astrology.

Just as an example:

The Gospel in the Stars in part:

• Virgo represents the virgin who would give birth to the promised Messiah.
• Capricornus represents the goat of atonement, slain for the redeemed.
• Orion represents Christ, the heavenly light of the world.
• Leo is the lion of the tribe of Judah.

It is nonsense.

 

[Montrose]

Are you a believer?

I am Catholic and do not believe in superstitious nonsense like astrology.
Universalism is another false belief.

 

[Montrose]

Don’t let anyone control your thinking. Check into everything as much as possible.

Why are so many believers so quick to abdicate thinking about spiritual matters for themselves when nothing is impossible with God?

Why would someone replace the positive message of Christ’s victory over all of God’s creation to believe in a doctrine that doesn’t show God as the victor over all of His creation when He works everything out according to the counsel of His own will. Be wary of interpretations that limit Him or His grace.

Look up and use your imagination…the Spirit is higher than the letter…

Jesus didn’t come and die on the Cross so Satan gets to keep most of the people ever born in hell.

I repeat that astrology is superstitious nonsense and universalism is a heresy and false belief.

What is Universalism?

Is everyone definitely going to heaven? Are we all mistaken about hell? Trent breaks down the biblical arguments that are used in support of universalism.

www.catholic.com

What is Hopeful Universalism?

Trent discusses the difference between universalism and the theology of “hopeful universalism” espoused by Hans Ur Von Balthasar and Bishop Robert Barron.

www.catholic.com

Does the Bible condemn astrology?

You bet it does, no matter what Jeane Dixon says. The Bible condemns astrology along with other occult practices: Keep up, now, your spells and your many sorcer...

www.catholic.com

The Perils of Superstition

People of religious faith are often stereotyped as uncritical, gullible simpletons who are prone to superstition. Is this accurate? Here's how to respond.

www.catholic.com

 

[Sarcelle]

even when they were against the girl’s will, prior to the 1960s the girl who had been abducted would not have been considered marriageable by any other man

Coercion is coercion, even if the woman is considered damaged goods. It’s still wrong. This should not be considered a valid marriage.

 

[Tommy999]

Thanks to all who have replied to this topic.

I think the thread has veered off quite a bit from the intended topic, which was to get people’s opinions on arranged marriages in general versus the standard Western way of each person choosing a spouse.

Note: I am not a proponent of astrology or any other non-Christian practice and was mainly wanting people’s opinions on the level of family involvement in the process of choosing a spouse that you think is appropriate.

Once again, thanks to all who responded. I think this thread has run its course and can be closed as far as I am concerned.

 

[Montrose]

Let’s open the scriptures and go to what God actually says not what the current generation of people conclude.

Timothy 4:9-11

King James Version

9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.

10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

11 These things command and teach.

See the above. Right there in scriptural black and white. God says to teach the salvation of all. That’s not to negate the great importance of spiritual birth either.

It just means most people haven’t been accurately informed in enough scriptural detail of God’s plan to save all men.

Read it. If God doesn’t have a long range plan to save everyone it would say Savior of all believers.

The doctrines of men may teach you to rationalize away what God’s word says but it says it right there.

God bless you and keep you!

I will pray for you as it is clear you are totally lost.

 

[Cruciferi]

Excuse me, what does this have to do with the Thread Topic?

Also, you do realize you’re on a Catholic Forum and no Catholic here is going to condone Biblical astrology nonsense?

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I’m sure there were millions if not billions of marriages throughout history where the woman or even the man wasn’t thrilled about it but they consented to the marriage anyway. It’s only in relatively recent times that the Church, or other churches and civil authorities for that matter, became more concerned about coercion. Mark it down to society evolving.

There are lots of issues in history that the Church didn’t handle in the way we expect the Church to handle them today.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I just thought someone would be interested in the miraculous.

This isn’t miraculous, it’s New Age gunk.
Please don’t propagate it here.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

David Sulem is clearly not Catholic and “God’s Plan for All” just from its description pushes a lot of junk that is not in line with Catholic teaching.
Faithful Catholics avoid such reading matter.

 

[Montrose]

It’s not New Age. God said He did it. I believe Him and it’s actually shown in the constellations.

Absolute nonsense!

 

[Montrose]

Like I said. You didn’t examine the work showing how the constellations proclaim the Gospel.

God bless!

Like I said, you are lost so I will pray for you.

 

[Dan_Defender]

An Indian coworker explained to me that the parental involvement goes more like this:

1. Parent notices that son/daughter is reaching a certain age and is still unmarried.
2. Parent asks son/daughter if they want parent’s help.
3. Son/daughter is free to say that they are not interested in the prospective spouse they introduce the son/daughter to.

It depends on the region I suspect. I had an Indian coworker who stated that his parents were set on him marrying someone they had chosen. The only way to escape his fate was to never go back to India.

 

[Sarcelle]

I also have a coworker whose parents wanted him to marry someone from his own caste. He was a Brahmin, the highest caste but he fell in love with a woman of a lower caste.

He married her but in time his parents got around and accepted her because they saw their son had married a good woman.

His was one of the happier endings.