What the bible says about marriage.

There are several passages and descriptions in the Bible on marriage and marriage practices.

- Marriage was between a man and a woman. Wives were subordinate to their husbands. Interfaith marriages were forbidden. Marriages were generally arranged. A wife who could not prove her virginity was stoned to death.

- Married men had 1 or more concubines. There were Abraham, Gideon, Nahor, Jacob, Eliphaz, Caled, Manassah, Solomon, Belshazzar.

- Married men were polygamous. There were Lamech, Esau, Jacob, Ashur, Gideon, Elkanah, David, Solomon, Rehaboam, Abijah, Jehoram, Joash, Ahab, Jeholachin, Belshazzar.

- Genesis 38:6-10 says that a widow who had not borne a son was required to marry her brother in law.

- Deuteronomy 22:28-29 says that a female virgin rape victim should marry her rapist. The rapist should pay the rape victim's father 50 shekels.

- Numbers 31:1-18 says that only the virgin females among the defeated in war shall be spared. And Deuteronomy 21:11-14 says that a man may marry the captured women after a month of mourning.

- Exodus 21:2-1-4 says that a master may give his unmarried man slave a wife. After 7 years of service, the man may go free but not the wife and her children.

As you can see, many of these marriage practices are frowned upon in present day society. Many are even illegal. We do not really follow all of what the Bible says about marriage. So those who uses the Bible to deny gays and lesbians the right to marry are just using the Bible to justify their prejudice and bigotry. They pick those they want and disregard those they do not want. Our perception evolved as to what marriage is and that should include a man marrying another man or a woman marrying another woman.