[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 21 (Wednesday, February 25, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H596]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             CODIFYING ``BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES'' OF MARRIAGE

  (Mr. McDERMOTT asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, the President's presidential prayer team 
is urging us to ``pray for the President as he seeks wisdom on how to 
legally codify the definition of marriage. Pray that it will be 
according to Biblical principles.''
  With that in mind, I thought I would remind the body of the biblical 
principles they are talking about.
  Marriage shall consist of a union between one man and one or more 
women. That is from Genesis 29:17-28.
  Secondly, marriage shall not impede a man's right to take concubines 
in addition to his wife or wives. That is II Samuel 5:13 and II 
Chronicles 11:21.
  A marriage shall be considered valid only if the wife is a virgin. If 
the wife is not a virgin, she shall be executed. That is Deuteronomy 
22:13.
  Marriage of a believer and a nonbeliever shall be forbidden. That is 
Genesis 24:3.
  Finally, it says that since there is no law that can change things, 
divorce is not possible, and finally, if a married man dies, his 
brother has to marry his sister-in-law.

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