1964 Awake! - Theocratic Collector.com

Some ponder little;
others, much too long.
MANY long years have passed since
English poet George Herbert cautioned
that one should never advise another
'to marry or to go to war.' Was the poet
thinking of the possibility of fatal consequences
in these two ventures? If so, he
was not far wrong, for the outcome of an
ill-advised marriage may prove quite as
disastrous for one as the effects of war.
No wonder many serious-minded men and
women ponder at length before deciding
whether to wed or not to wed.
Aside from the sensible viewpoint of being
judicious in the choice of a suitable
mate, there are other factors that cause
young marriageable people to stop and
weigh matters seriously before deciding to
wed. There are those who, approaching the
age when most young people face thj9
question, have previously determil1f'd to
dedicate their lives in the pursuit of some
endeavor where marriage may be an encumbrance.
Yotmg Christian ministers, for
instance, may recall the words of the apostle
Paul, who said: "He also that gives his
virginity in marriage does well, but he that
SEPTEMBER $$, 1964
does nOt give it in marriage will
do beUer." But Paul does not
leave his reader facing the
question as a dilemina. He explains
himself. A thorough
reading of the portion
of the Bible
where his words appear
reveals that
the thought the
apostle had in
mind was the
maintaining of
one's freedom,
physical and
mental, so as
to have a fuller
share in Christian
activities.
An unmarried person who has such a goal
in life and who can keep himself free from
constantly distracting thoughts concerning
marriage does well to hold on to his single
state. But the single man whose thoughts
dwell on seeking companionship with the
opposite sex is not "settled in his heart,"
as Paul says. So, "Let them marry."
-1 Cor. 7:36-38.
Another Side of the Question
However, it is not only single persons
who have to face up to this question of
marriage. Around the earth there are milliohs
of ostensibly "married" persons who
are not married at all. They have merely
come together by mutual consent and live
as if married, but without the benefit of
any legal ceremony to establish their relationship.
Many' of -these people have lived
this way for years and tens of years, have
raised their families and appear to enjoy
recognition and acceptance in the community,
yet they are still pondering the question,
"To wed or not to we(l.?" Regardless
of the community's closing its eyes to this
practice, those who find themselves in such
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