42% of weddings in Dublin take place inside civic registry offices now. That means that more and more people who do not believe in Christianity are refraining from using churches to instill their marriage ceremonies with a bit of traditional chic.
Am I the only person who thinks this is brilliant?
Your Correspondent, Finished his working day
Not the only one, I think it’s great too. Friends of mine recently married: they went to the registry first with just some family, and then to a lovely estate called Airfield that has a hotel and restaurant for a simple secular ceremony in front of their friends and family (which I had the honour of conducting), followed by a meal and speeches and all the usual fun. Lovely day.
Me too.
That’s a very optimistic way of looking at the situation.
Well what’s your assessment Blingo?
Just playing Devil’s advocate here. The other way of looking at civic marriages is that they’re indicative of the decline of Christianity. Wasn’t so long ago that people in this country wouldn’t even have considered getting married without a Christian ceremony. I do appreciate your point though; it’s hypocritical to get married in a church whilst only giving lip service to the other aspects and requirements of Christianity.
It’s the sheep like nature of humanity to follow what’s required socially (Not trying to lift myself above humanity here, every one likes to ‘fit in’). Years ago it was the norm to attend church regularly so that’s what people did. Now we’re living in a more secular society there’s not really the same pressure to do this, so people don’t. Has anything really changed?
Well I think what has changed is that we are in a situation where public perception is closer to reality.
In the 1920-1950s where everyone was a Catholic, many people were faking to believe in Christianity. It was so all pervasive that they didn’t even notice they were doing it. We assumed that being Irish meant we were religious.
But the church was hampered by being swollen to the brim with people who wanted a system instead of a relationship.
If now, the herd mentality is at least showing people that they don’t actually believe the Resurrection nevermind think it the most important and beautiful thing to have ever happened then that frees the church up to be more who she is called to be and less a religious service provider for people who are intent on offering a “nod to God” every week or month or so.
That’s my take on it, anyway.
i tend to agree with zoomtard’s analysis of this. Its not a good thing for church to be seen as something to add a bit of kitch/twee/romantic niceness to a wedding. The last wedding i attended was in a church, quite a trad service, but neither the bride nor groom have any interest in religion whatsoever. Better for the church that people like them are happy to have civil non-church weddings i think. church wedding stats should be in line with church attendance stats
the church was hampered by being swollen to the brim with people who wanted a system instead of a relationship
frees the church up to be more who she is called to be and less a religious service provider for people who are intent on offering a “nod to God” every week or month or so.
hear hear. these i like.
Civil marraiges a sign of the death of christendom not chrisitanity.
AMEN! While I put the section of my Masters thesis on the End of Christendom in Ireland through its nth revision!
Zoomtard: A nice conclusion to an interesting discussion. Had never really thought of it that way.