Talk 12: Whom to Marry and Whom Not to Marry
If one decides to marry, then whom to marry and whom not to marry should be the most important decision that needs to be made. It can even be said that this decision will determine the outcome of the marriage. The correct decision of whom to marry is essential for the success of a marriage. A wrong decision can have disastrous consequences as can be seen from the increased rate of divorce, marital problems, violence, adultery, etc.
Social dating, Internet dating and chat rooms, pre-marital sex, de facto relationships, Internet match-making, etc, are some of the ways people use to find their future spouse. Many Orthodox Christians also use such methods and therefore the following questions arise: are any of these methods appropriate for an Orthodox Christian and if not, how else would one meet someone for the purpose of marriage?
Some of the topics included in this talk are: is there such a thing as love at first sight? the stress of dating and intimate relationships; obtaining information on dating and sexuality from magazines and television; strange reasons for attraction to the opposite sex; the correct attitude towards marriage; the stance of Protestants and Catholics regarding the abstaining from sex before marriage; the difficulty of “socialising” without drugs or alcohol; is compatibility necessary for marriage? sick emotional relationships; is there such a thing as a soul mate? can dating negatively affect one’s future marriage? is it necessary to scrutinize a possible future spouse? pornography and its effect on the marriage; sex with no strings attached; are arranged marriages ridiculous? should love exist before marriage? can emotions be dangerous when choosing a spouse? preparing for marriage while being single; should some people remain single? seeking God’s will when choosing a spouse; mental illness and marriage; physical sickness and marriage.
Talk Duration: 160 minutes
2 CD set