http://jesus-messiah.com/html/wedding_rings.html
Dictionary Of Christian Words, Copyright, all rights reserved.
Wedding Rings/Jewelry
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Wedding rings are jewelry worn by
the groom/bride adopted from paganism by the Catholic Church |
The word "ring" is first found in Genesis 41:42
where Pharoah took his off and put it on Joseph's
hand. This was not a wedding. The ring was used as a symbol of
power and authority. But notice it is upon the hand of an idolatrous
pagan ruler.
Ancient idols wear jewelry. Some
would say God approves of idols wearing jewelry.
In Exodus 32:3-4 Aaron made a golden
calf from the ornaments of jewelry given to him by the Israelites.
In Exodus 33:5 God told them to
strip: "For the LORD has said unto
Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, ye are a stiffnecked
people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore
now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee."
If a person has never heard God tell
them to strip their jewelry off, they have not heard from God on the issue!
God cannot be contradictory. He will not require of one what he does not
require of all.
There is no Scripture where God ever told the Israelites
they could put jewelry back on! If God said to take it off and gave no
authorization to put it back on, then these ornaments of jewelry are forever to
remain off the body of God's chosen people.
Exodus 33:6--"And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their
ornaments by the mount Horeb."
One of the sins of king Saul was he
allowed the women to put back on ornaments (2Sam 1:24).
The next mention of these ornaments
is in Isaiah 3:18 where God strips Israel again, but this time will send them
into captivity into the land of the pagans whom they lusted after. What
happens when a person rejects the ways of God? They end up a captive
among the unsaved heathens and there with their ornaments they forget God until
the day of their calamity. Then, to get God's attention they will strip
off their ornaments of bravery, put on sackcloth, and begin to wail.
In Jeremiah 4:30 the daughters of
Israel decked themselves again with ornaments of gold, painted their faces,
made themselves beautiful (fair), but God said even with all this her lovers
would despise her. Rings on the hands of a whore or harlot do not
symbolize holiness or purity. These symbolize more the spirit of a witch,
a woman who uses all available powers to seduce her victim to lust after her.
Such fornication and adultery profanes the sacrifice of purity and holiness
(read Ezk 16:10-15 then follow-up the end of this
jewelry in Ezk 23:40). Even if God would allow
jewelry, look at what people would do with this liberty!
There is no wedding ring in the Old
Testament.
The wedding ring comes from
paganism. It cannot be found in the Old or New Testaments. There was no
practice among early Christians to wear finger rings as a sign of marriage or
an engagement. Pope Gregory 1, in 860AD decreed that as a required
statement of nuptial intent, the groom to be had to give his intended an
engagement ring. He further decreed the ring be of gold to signify financial
sacrifice. The first diamond engagement ring is the one given by King Maximillian in 1477 to Mary of Burgundy. Wedding rings
can be traced to idols and heathen religions. It is not just the image of the
idol we are commanded not to possess, but rather any part of the idol itself.
Thus, to make ones self after the image of the
idol is to practice idolatry. All images of false gods and goddesses show
the use of earrings, finger rings, bracelets, nose rings, and other jewelry.
Where do we find this same practice associated with the God of the Bible?
Did Jesus wear jewelry? Did the Apostles and early Christians?
The answer is no!
The wedding ring is first a circle which is said to mean
eternal or unending. Marriages were never eternal in the Scriptures but
rather until death. Afterward a spouse could be married again. The
idea then of eternal marriages symbolised by the ring
is not Biblical. This meaning of the ring is false. So the ring gives a false
testimony. The wedding ring then is not representative of the true union of the
bridegroom and his bride. The home of the couple is more a witness and testimony
of marriage then a wedding ring. For it is in the home the marriage is honored
and sustained.
The wedding ring originated in Babylon, the cradle of
civilization. The most ancient ring discovered there is in the shape of
the eternal serpent. The image of the serpent biting its tail to form the
circle of the ring is an ancient satanic symbol (***satanic
ouroboros) . The
same symbol is used by the Theosophy Cult. Satan as the serpent, that great
dragon of Revelation 12, has by this symbol joined a man and a woman under his
cult. God is not the serpent symbol of any wedding ring, nor is he the
symbol of the wedding ring in any fashion. We may trace the ring not to the God
of the Bible but to the accuser of the brethren. Where is there any ring that
symbolizes God? Did God provide wedding rings for Adam and Eve? Remove this
idolatrous symbol from the Church and the Pastor is accused of being
legalistic, against marriage, incouraging adultery
and lust. The Pastor's Church is labeled a cult. The fact is, over
70% of married spouses who commit fornication do not remove their wedding rings
prior to the act, during the act, or after the act. Wedding rings have
not stopped one act of adultery. Not one husband or wife has said: "I
cannot commit adultery because I have my wedding ring on."
The pagan origin
of the wedding ring raise questions about its adoption by Christians to
represent the marriage union. The value of symbols is determined by their
origin and meaning. The Menorah, the Cross, the Lord’s Passover emblems of
bread and wine with footwashing, and baptism, are all
acceptable symbols, because they have been established by God to help us
understand spiritual truth. Their value is derived from their divine origin and
not from man-made paganism. By contrast, the meaning of the wedding ring as a
symbol of marriage commitment finds its origin not in Scripture, but in pagan
mythology and superstitions. To give a pagan superstitutious
symbol a Christian meaning leads to perversion of the right ways of God. The
fourth finger DOES NOT contain a special nerve to the heart. It is superstitutious to believe if a person removes their
wedding ring that evil will befall the marriage. Did a ring join them together
or was it GOD? When a ring is made to join two people, God is CAST OUT
and replaced by a piece of jewelry. This is exactly what has happened with the
use of the wedding ring, superstitution is believed
and this is borderline witchcraft. Many claim they need to wear the ring
to ward off men or women who might think they are otherwise available.
This is not true, the man or woman who is married will not be a flirt,
will not entice lust, and will come out plainly and say "I am
married." There is no need to allow a pagan superstitutious
symbol say what should be said with lips and conduct.
Christian religions
that originally rejected wedding rings:
The Methodist followed the teachings of John Wesley that wedding rings
were pagan and should not be worn. Mennonites likewise rejected the wedding
ring as pagan. All early Baptist in America rejected use of the pagan wedding
ring. The original Seventh Day Adventist abstained from use of the
wedding ring because of its pagan origin. All the holiness movements, including
the more devout Apostolic Pentecostals rejected wedding rings as pagan. There
was a time in America when the majority of Christians did not wear jewelry of
any kind including earrings and wedding rings. But this was to change
when Pastors wanted their Churches to be more world friendly. The theory behind
this relaxation was that Christianity was more then
holiness and wearing of jewelry. The emphasis on personal holiness fell
into decline in the later 1800s and from that time wedding rings became more
and more accepted.
This leavening process brought other
backslidings: casual drinking of alcohol was permitted; smoking of tobacco was
allowed, dipping snuff was ok, chewing tobacco was left up to the person's own
convictions; card playing and use of dice games came into homes; women began to
wear slacks/pants, and having their hair bobbed (cut) was no longer frowned
upon or preached against. Makeup was no longer seen as a Jezebel practice. The
focus switched from being Godly to being self-centered.
What has happened? Christians use Biblical terms like holiness but they
no longer mean by this word what the Scriptures mean. The greater problem with
wedding rings is the next step in spiritual maturity of forsaking all paganism
and worldliness. Those who wear pagan wedding rings are not likely to make a
stand against any other paganism practiced by Catholics and Protestants.
We have a generation who now walk by sight and not by a holiness faith.
Many claim jewelry and rings are a minor thing. Indeed they are minor. There is much more
to living for God then wearing jewelry and rings. But, if they are such a
minor thing why is it so hard to get people to pull them off? The Bible
reveals that use of jewelry results in spiritual decline and apostasy. It is
time to let God strip us down and let him dress us. What is wrong with
that? Let God in your closet. Let God strip you of these pagan ornaments. Since
wedding rings are such a minor thing, why not remove them and let your holiness
and purity speak for your marriage?
At last, where are those who wear
earrings, wedding rings, bracelets, necklaces, nose rings, any different then the idols pictured above.
Have people made themselves after the image of their idols and not after
God? Now someone prove God wears jewelry and this page will be retracted.
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Those who wear wedding rings will
also backslide in the wearing of apparel and eventually on all matters of
Christian holiness |
***Ouroboros ( Auroboros ) Sign of Totality
The snake swallowing its own tail
represents; rebirth, immortality, the round of existence, evolution,
continuity, and perpetual movement of the universe. It symbolizes unity and
infinity, with no beginning and no end. The cycle of day and night, life and
death, eternal marriage, heaven and earth, good and evil are all
represented by the endless turning on itself. A symbol in
both Egyptian and Greek mythology.
---In his booklet Light on the Wedding
Ring, Methodist F. B. Annable writes: "Even
in these times of looseness a woman with no earthly adornment. emblem, or symbol. but modestly
clothed . . . and with the grace of God in her heart, may walk the streets of
our land unashamed and unmolested. Her long dress, with sleeves, and
decent-shaded hosiery, plus real womanly dignity and deportment, will proclaim
everywhere that she belongs only to God and to her husband. Sinners will
know a block away that she does not belong to them! Here is genuine protection
[more visible than a tiny metal loop], and recommended by a Power . . . greater
than all worldly symbols and customs put together."
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#1
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Does
anyone know why some Priests wear a wedding band? Where did the practice come
from? Is it proper? What is the significance? Thanks
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Handmaid |
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#2
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Quote:
The
professed Carmelite sisters here do it as well __________________
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Ichthus |
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#3
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I
have never noticed that except for one priest. He is married so that is why
he wears it. He is a Catholic Convert and was an Episcopal priest who
converted and was ordained in the Catholic church last year. Serves one of
our parishes.
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Marie |
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#4
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Quote:
I
met some Spanish priests in Europe who were members of a religious order that
required them to wear wedding rings as a symbol of their relationship with
the Church. __________________ Ubi Petrus, ibi
Ecclesia. Ubi Ecclesia, ibi
Vita Aeterna.
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Michelina |
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#5
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I
think its a little weird, but not that big of a
deal. God willing I'll be ordained in June 2007 and I'm not planning on doing
that.
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runnerryan |
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#6
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Quote:
Thank
you, thank you thank you - for answering the call.
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BobCatholic |
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#7
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The
wedding band is a symbol of a persons
commitment to their spouse. A priest's bride is the Church, and a Sister is a
bride of Christ. If you listen Father Corapi, he
talks about how one day while preaching, after he first became a priest, he
looked at a woman in the front pew and realized he would never be marry, but
he also realize that Jesus had given him a bride and it was the Church.
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EUSTACHIUS |
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#8
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Both
my local Priests wear a wedding band, and whenever I see it, I thank God that
they answered the call, and married the Church, as they are so wonderful in
their job.
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kellie |
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#9
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I
asked our priest about this and he said it was more the Franciscan Priests
that were the bands, but that some Priests in other orders also were them to
symbolize their union with the Church. Our priest does not were one because
he plays the chello and it would get in the way.
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Shari |
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#10
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Besides
the obvious fact that it symbolizes the fact the priest is married to the
Church... I'd also assume that it helps keep the ladies away!
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Boomer
Sooner |
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#11
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I
had a priest tell me just that....it keeps the ladies away. He was a very
young and very attractive man. I guess he ran into a lot of women trying to
'pick him up'. He said this put a stop to all that and made his life a little
easier.
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DVIN
CKS |
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#12
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My
young, wonderful, super-orthodox diocesan priest wears a wedding band. I
always assumed it signified his marriage to the Church.
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ohca |
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#13
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Quote:
What
is the "rule" regarding a priest wearing his collar?
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CatholicRevert |
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#14
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A newly ordained priest I know wears a band on his ring
finger left hand as a sign of his vows and commitment to the Church. The ring
has been suitably engraved and blessed. He also always wears his roman collar
the reason being that the collar identifies him as a priest and he is recognised as a priest and so more opportunities arise to
minister not only to his parishioners but those outside of his parish. I
believe our priests need to be more visible in the world Last edited by Dominican; Jun 25, '04 at 9:44 pm.
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Dominican |
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#15
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Quote:
Priests
are not the only ones to wear collars. In fact the first to wear the Roman
Collars in America were Protestant ministers! So, just because someone is
wearing a Roman Collar does not mean that they are celibate. |
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http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081103061719AAXlnYx
Resolved
Question
JW's Why do you wear wedding
bands? Why do you celebrate anniversaries?
Anything that has "pagan"
roots you said is from Satan. You hold fast to this on many topics....but some
you do not. Why do you wear wedding bands....is it in the bible? What are the
roots of wedding bands? What about anniversaries?
- 2 years ago
Additional
Details
I still have not gotten an answer.
Why make an exception to wedding rings? or
anniversaries? By the way Vot...that was funny.
2 years ago
I agree that you should celebrate
anniversaries...like the anniversary of Jesus's Death and resurection.
If we are to take it in this direction, isn't a birthday an anniversary of
someone being born? Of Gods gift of
life to us? Oops I got off topic too. If its debatable about the roots....do you want to
gamble on your souls?
2 years ago
The person being honored is pagan?
So showing someone you are happy they are here is pagan? Showing them they are
glad God put you into the world is pagan?Do
you not give gifts to people you love? Do you not bake and get together with
and for people. Didn't many Come to see Jesus..that he was born "regardless of time
period".
2 years ago
So if something has more than one
meaning you can have a celebration. Some people celebrate christmas
just to get together and spend time together, some celebrate it as observing Christs birth...this has more than one meaning...Some
celebrate it as giving thanks to God for giving us Jesus. So even if the roots
are pagan...if its used in a
meaning of good its o.k?
2 years ago
I think births came into this world
before they were used in any pagan meanings...I know that much...but rings
being in existence before "pagan roots" is a far stretch don't you
think?
2 years ago
Because they are placed on you, you
live with them....because of custom and society? Doesn't Jesus warn us of this?
2 years ago
Thats my point...in no way celebrating (not worshipping) someones birthday is not false worship...celebrating
Christmas is not false worship... Wearing a ring is not false worship. Thank
you.
2 years ago
God didn't institute births? common thats an easy one.
2 years ago
So again, even if its been used for pagan reasons...if
your reasons are not of pagan ideals than its o.k.
2 years ago