It’s a little known fact that the early church opposed marriage all together. “The Church introduced the notion into the ancient world that the celibate unmarried state was preferable and more holy….A preference for the celibate state came from the example of Jesus, the concern about the imminent coming of the Kingdom of God as supported by Jesus and early followers such as Saint Paul, and the exhortation by Jesus to avoid ‘earthly ties’. As a consequence, to a significant degree first-century Christians placed less value on the family and saw celibacy (not marrying) and freedom from family ties as a preferable state.” From Karen Armstrong’s The Gospel According to Woman: Christianity’s Creation of the Sex War in the West”

It’s a little known fact that the early church opposed marriage all together.

“The Church introduced the notion into the ancient world that the celibate unmarried state was preferable and more holy….A preference for the celibate state came from the example of Jesus, the concern about the imminent coming of the Kingdom of God as supported by Jesus and early followers such as Saint Paul, and the exhortation by Jesus to avoid ‘earthly ties’. As a consequence, to a significant degree first-century Christians placed less value on the family and saw celibacy (not marrying) and freedom from family ties as a preferable state.”

From Karen Armstrong’s The Gospel According to Woman: Christianity’s Creation of the Sex War in the West”

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