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Wedding rings and Paganism

The plain teaching of that article is to get rid of all jewelry, and even the proof text indicates that it was a punishment for the Israelites, one that is not our particular problem today.

On the other hand, if the Lord's telling you not to wear a wedding ring, don't wear one.

Meanwhile, the custom of giving rings in Anglo-Saxon culture goes way back as a way of showing approval, or rewarding someone, or showing friendship, in addition to symbolizing a marriage commitment, and to call ring-giving and ring-wearing 'pagan' so we can reject it seems a little forced. There's nothing inherently unChristian about wearing rings....
 
Yes, it is a bit push in tone. Knowing some of individuals who are part of the listed denominations like the Seventh Day Adventists. They were once big on preaching no wedding rings or jewelry for that matter. In the last ten yrs they have softened their tone concerning such things.
It really is up to the individuals as to what they choose to do.
 
Oh! So much to pick on this poor man for in the article! Which I will endeavor to refrain from and remain as gracious as I can about the subject.

It amazes me how often I see someone attempt to establish a position on something like this, and because there exists a precedent that ties back to paganism or Roman Catholicism or some other ism, this "fact" becomes proof that the custom originated from whatever ism that is the whipping boy of the hour instead of considering that perhaps the pagans adopted from an existing and otherwise benign custom.

Often, the "learned" poster is very deficient in either their understanding of history, or chronology, or customs, or Bible and they do not go back far enough historically or Biblically to truly verify their hypothesis.

While I acknowledge the satanic symbol as being incorporated into a ring, that does not by default make all rings satanic, or jewelry demonic or pagan.
His assertion that every mention of jewelry in Scripture has a negative connotation is simply ludicrous.

Fact: we know that there were metal workers or artificers in both brass and iron quite a while before the flood. Gen 4

Fact: Abraham's servant gave gifts of jewelry and bracelets to Rebekah both at their introduction and betrothal as well as gave jewelry to her mother and brother.

Fact: Numbers 31 has a very interesting story about the Israelites bringing a portion of the captured booty as an offering to the Lord as well as a procedure for making unclean jewelry clean. No mention is made about them having to get rid of their portion.

Fact: Ezekiel 16 is all about a woman that God betrothed, cleaned up and placed all kinds of jewelry on.

Fact: the ring given to Joseph was not about paganism, it was all about authority

Fact: The Israelites were commanded to place an earring in the ear of the man who was indenturing himself voluntarily for life.

Fact: The prodigal son is recognized as being reconciled to his father by the placing of a ring upon his finger as a symbol of his restored authority and position.

His assertion that the removal of the ornaments has anything to do with the ornaments is not a defendable position as that is a prerequisite of repentance and humility. There's no mention of them disposing of the ornaments as part of their humility or repentance and no commandment in Torah (that I'm aware of) preventing them from wearing any kind of ornamentation except perhaps temporarily.

Much more I could say about this as regarding the "kiddushin" of the betrothal ceremony but I'll leave it for another time. I'm not convinced personally that the wedding ring as we know it is entirely necessary, but to go to the lengths the author did to discredit it simply leaves me as the reader with a bad taste in my mouth due to his own demonstrated lack of credibility and discernment.

Godspeed on your studies! Just be careful what you accept as truth!
 
That article seems to go way off the deep end in the references. But in investigating this briefly to give some backup for that response, I find that the early church fathers did hold a similar view. Clement of Alexandria spoke strongly against them. Tertullian took them as having a clear pagan origin, but saw less harm in them if the focus was not on the pagan element. Basically, I did some background reading to show why the author was wrong, but my background reading didn't entirely support my initial hypothesis...

Rings appear to be strongly associated with authority and ownership. Historically, men would wear signet rings, with which they could seal their authority over particular items / letters. Such a signet ring could be given by a man in authority to his servant (e.g. the Pharaoh and Joseph) to delegate authority. Then, men also gave rings, originally iron, to their brides to signify their ownership of the wife. Neither usage is unscriptural.

Where the church fathers questioned the practice is where the ring becomes an outward ornament that is contrary to the instruction to dress modestly. A plain gold ring is not a particularly extravagent ornament in comparison to what we see around us, so that's not a critical issue in my mind in our particular culture.

The practice of both men and women giving each other rings, and both wearing them, is more questionable. It is very recent so not covered by early Christian writers. A man giving his wife a ring to symbolise that she belongs to him is entirely scriptural - both giving each other rings symbolises mutual submission that no longer represents the true patriarchal nature of biblical marriage, and is a very monogamous practice also. That I think is worth pondering more deeply, but for different reasons.
 
So I have been doing some reading about weddings today and their connection to paganism.

Good on you MissJ. At some time or other most of us with a heart for true worship have asked similar questions and given consideration to the subject you raised as can be seen by the comments noted above. Glad you raised the subject as it has allowed for some clear comments to be made.
Always seek truth, for if we stop looking then we stop finding. Just because others found something before us does not mean that we should not seek answers for ourselves. We all need to be like the Beroeans and check that it is so (Acts 17:11).
 
This issue along with Christmas trees, and a few others seems to be in constant discussion amongst believers.

I couldn't help but noticing that all the idols or pagan deities were all wearing clothes. Should we see wearing clothes as pagan? After all, Job rent his clothes, David danced naked, and Elijah? preached in the buff (somebody check me on that). Maybe we should emulate them.

Grace is a beautiful thing.
 
The practice of both men and women giving each other rings, and both wearing them, is more questionable. It is very recent so not covered by early Christian writers. A man giving his wife a ring to symbolise that she belongs to him is entirely scriptural - both giving each other rings symbolises mutual submission that no longer represents the true patriarchal nature of biblical marriage, and is a very monogamous practice also. That I think is worth pondering more deeply, but for different reasons.
Excellent point.
 
I couldn't help but noticing that all the idols or pagan deities were all wearing clothes. Should we see wearing clothes as pagan? After all, Job rent his clothes, David danced naked, and Elijah? preached in the buff (somebody check me on that). Maybe we should emulate them.

Did anyone else notice the comment in the article about how he would be convinced only if one could prove that God wore jewelry or rings? Umm . . . I was going to go a little further. I was trying to think of a way to prove that God wears clothes!

Anybody?
 
Then let our women not be clothed in "costly array" but be clothed simply in "good works" as per 1 Timothy 2:9-10.

Given the price of women's clothes, I think that all their clothing can be classed as "costly array". I am starting to really like this idea. ;)
 
Did anyone else notice the comment in the article about how he would be convinced only if one could prove that God wore jewelry or rings?

In that day, says the LORD of hosts, will I take you, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, says the LORD, and will make you as a signet ring: for I have chosen you, says the LORD of hosts.

hey-00hhhhh
 
There's plenty of Over-The-Top paganism rampant in 'the church', from 'holy-days' that aren't to outright idolatry, so, if nothing else, I tend to regard rings as 'low on the Richter scale,' anyway.

In this culture, however, a woman wearing a ring on the left hand tends to send a message: "Not Available." And that solves a myriad of problems for those who understand YHVH's Instruction about marriage. (I can speak first-hand about dealing with issues that might have perhaps raised OTHER questions in some situations, but on balance would have been "net positive". A second wife wearing a ring will simply not be asked things her husband wouldn't want her to have to deal with.)

I do not wear one myself. (Not only does it send the wrong message, if 'not available' is not correct, but in most of my employment history, lab safety rules forbade it anyway, and constantly removing it was not only a hassle, but got to be painful.)
 
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