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Marriage Night

By Allison Lang

On Friday, May 31st, from 5:30pm - 9:30pm, Northgate Free Methodist Church will host the first Marriage Night simulcast event in partnership with RightNow Media. Marriage Night and bring together thousands of husbands, wives, and engaged couples to hear from Francis and Lisa Chan (You and Me Forever), Les and Leslie Parrott (The Good Fight), and comedian Michael Jr. 

Event Date and Time
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Conversations with Calliope- Marriage and Death

By Joseph Langen


 

 
JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. That seems like an odd title for you entry.
JOE: I suppose it is But those are the two events which kept me busy this weekend.
CALLIOPE: Tell me more.
JOE: Families get together quite often for marriages and funerals. Sometimes they are the only places I have seen some of the people I know.
CALLIOPE: What else do they have in common.
JOE: I was just thinking about that for my Saturday column.
CALLIOPE: What did you come up with?
JOE: Both are significant way stations in life. Birth is the other major one but I didn't have one to celebrate this weekend.
CALLIOPE: Anything else.
JOE: The ideas is still percolating. Let me think a moment.
CALLIOPE: Not too long. You have work to do.
JOE: Right. Marriage is an occasion for a couple to join their lives and for their community of friends to join in support of their union.
CALLIOPE: And death.
JOE: Death and funerals provide families with a chance to remember the life of their loved one, say goodbye and comfort each other. I guess that's my theme. Talk with you tomorrow.

 

 

Conversations with Calliope- What Words Mean

By Joseph Langen

(Wedding Bower)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. Were you serious about contacting William Safire or just kidding?
JOE: Serious. After some sleuthing to find his email address at the New York Times, I sent him a post suggesting he consider the meaning of the word marriage.
CALLIOPE: Do you think he will?
JOE: I am sure he has many requests for topics. I always appreciate requests from my readers and usually end up honoring them in one form or another.
CALLIOPE: That's a good way to be sure you aren't just talking to yourself or me.
JOE: I agree. Although I enjoy our talks, I like it when readers chime in as they have lately on the topic of marriage.
CALLIOPE: Are you done with this topic?
JOE: Hard to say. My column for Saturday, also to appear in Sliding Otter News, looks at the issue further.
CALLIOPE: What feedback have you gotten from your readers?
JOE: Some didn't see what the big deal was. Just let everyone choose whatever relationship is comfortable.
CALLIOPE: What's the likelihood of that?
JOE: Not so great, I'm afraid. Some people feel threatened by people messing with their institutions and cherished beliefs.
CALLIOPE: Any other thoughts on marriage?
JOE: I found a good brief history which gave me food for thought at www2.hu-berlin.de/sexology/ATLAS_EN/html/history_of_marriage_in_western.html . Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- The Word Marriage

By Joseph Langen

(Wedding on the Veranda)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. You had more to say about marriage?
JOE: I did. It seems to me that the word itself is confusing the debate about who should be allowed to use the word "married."
CALLIOPE: How so?
JOE: Most people don't object to other than heterosexual couples having civil unions. They just object to calling it marriage.
CALLIOPE: I see. Civilly, Marriage refers to a legal union regardless of whether there is a religious ceremony.
JOE: Right. It also refers to a religious ceremony, regardless of whether it is legalized with the government.
CALLIOPE: So you can be married in the eyes of the government alone, a church alone or both.
JOE: Right. I think it's too much work for one word to do.
CALLIOPE: What would you call it then?
JOE: Good question. Reserving the word for people in one set of circumstances is likely to alienate everyone else. Maybe we need several words to make everyone's situation clear.
CALLIOPE: Is anybody even discussing this possibility?
JOE: Not that I know of. That's why I brought it up.
CALLIOPE: Do you think anyone else is interested in the issue?
JOE: Perhaps William Safire would be. I'll ask him. I'm not sure anyone else has the emotional energy to enter into such a debate. We shall see. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Arguing about Marriage

By Joseph Langen

(Outside Marriage)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Raring to go.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like you're charged up about something. Tell me about it.
JOE: Marriage has been on my mind.
CALLIOPE: Don't tell me you're getting married again.
JOE: Relax, No such plans are in the works.
CALLIOPE: What then?
JOE: Yesterday I read in the newspaper more about the ongoing debate over gay marriage and its implications.
CALLIOPE: And?
JOE: I realized the problem was one of semantics.
CALLIOPE: How so?
JOE: Civil, legal, societal and religious views of marriage have become entangled the the point where people are talking about different things using the same word.
CALLIOPE: I see. What would you suggest?
JOE: It's time we had different terms for civil and religious views of marriage and what they imply. More tomorrow.
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