--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Marriage is a civic matter. It is really…" description: "\"Marriage is a civic matter. It is really not, together with all its circumstances, the business of the church.\" — Martin Luther" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/189/martin-luther-106_church_marriage-is-a-civic-matter-it-is-really_1844701.jpg" --- # Marriage is a civic matter. It is really not, together… ![“Marriage is a civic matter. It is really not, together with all its circumstances, the business of the church.” quote by Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/189/martin-luther-106_church_marriage-is-a-civic-matter-it-is-really_1844701.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/189/martin-luther-106_church_marriage-is-a-civic-matter-it-is-really_1844701.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/189/martin-luther-106_church_marriage-is-a-civic-matter-it-is-really_1844701.jpg) > “Marriage is a civic matter. It is really not, together with all its circumstances, the business of the church.” [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Marriage is a civil contract, not a religious institution, emphasizing its societal rather than ecclesiastical nature. **In simple terms:** Marriage belongs to the state, not the church. Key Takeaway Separate civil and religious duties. Themes civic duty religion law Mood analytical critical Type theoretical social When to use this quote - government registration - legal rights - family law Key Concepts secularism social contract Questions to Reflect On - Should civil law govern marriage entirely? - How do religious beliefs affect civic marriage? A Different Perspective Religious traditions still influence many marriages. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Circumstances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/circumstances/) [Civic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civic/) [Civic Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civic-matter-2377333/) [Civics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civics/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Marriage Civic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage-civic-2377332/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Really Circumstances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really-circumstances-2377334/) [Together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/together/) ## Related quotes > [In her religious role, the Queen is head of the Church of England, but in her civic role she cares for all her subjects,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-sacks/in-her-religious-role-the-queen-is-head-of-the-church-of-england-but/) [Jonathan Sacks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-sacks/) > [I believe Britishness is defined not on ethnic and exclusive grounds but through shared values; our history of tolerance, openness and internationalism; and our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blunkett/i-believe-britishness-is-defined-not-on-ethnic-and-exclusive-grounds/) [David Blunkett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blunkett/) > [I believe an invitation from the Commission on Presidential Debates is similar to a draft notice - a civic responsibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-lehrer/i-believe-an-invitation-from-the-commission-on-presidential-debates/) [Jim Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-lehrer/) > [I've rarely kept my distance from kind of - I don't know if we can call it politics, but kind of, civic engagement and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/i-ve-rarely-kept-my-distance-from-kind-of-i-don-t-know-if-we-can-call/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [There is this absurd assumption that the revitalisation of the public sphere is always a good thing. 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They want to improve even the lives of people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clay-shirky/civic-participants-don-t-aim-to-make-life-better-merely-for-members/) [Clay Shirky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clay-shirky/) > [One must always be civic-minded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiroo-onoda/one-must-always-be-civic-minded/) [Hiroo Onoda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiroo-onoda/) > [The Civic University operates on a global scale but uses its location to form its identity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-goddard/the-civic-university-operates-on-a-global-scale-but-uses-its-location/) [John Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-goddard/) > [What's similar between Britain and America is the lack of good-quality civic buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zaha-hadid/what-s-similar-between-britain-and-america-is-the-lack-of-good/) [Zaha Hadid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zaha-hadid/) > [The whole, 'Is the Internet a good thing or a bad thing'? We're done with that. It's just a thing. How to maximise its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clay-shirky/the-whole-is-the-internet-a-good-thing-or-a-bad-thing-we-re-done-with/) [Clay Shirky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clay-shirky/) ## More by Martin Luther > [“It was easy for you to say these things, since you either knew you were not writing to Luther, but for the general public,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/it-was-easy-for-you-to-say-these-things-since-you-either-knew-you/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [In a delightful garden, sowing, planting or digging are not hardship but are done with a zeal and a certain pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/in-a-delightful-garden-sowing-planting-or-digging-are-not-hardship/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [If you could understand a single grain of wheat you would die of wonder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/if-you-could-understand-a-single-grain-of-wheat-you-would-die-of/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [He who believes in God is not careful for the morrow, but labors joyfully and with a great heart. "For He giveth His beloved,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/he-who-believes-in-god-is-not-careful-for-the-morrow-but-labors/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [“God made man out of nothing, and as long as we are nothing, He can make something out of us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/god-made-man-out-of-nothing-and-as-long-as-we-are-nothing-he-can-make/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [“But the truth will win out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/but-the-truth-will-win-out/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [God wants us to pray, and he wants to hear our prayers-not because we are worthy, but because he is merciful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/god-wants-us-to-pray-and-he-wants-to-hear-our-prayers-not-because-we/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [Our office...subjects us to great burdens and labors, dangers and temptations, with little reward or gratitude from the world. But Christ himself will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/our-office-subjects-us-to-great-burdens-and-labors-dangers-and/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [“Our faith in Christ does not free us from works but from false opinions concerning works, that is, from the foolish presumption that justification…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/our-faith-in-christ-does-not-free-us-from-works-but-from-false/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [The works of the righteous would be mortal sins if they would not be feared as mortal sins by the righteous themselves out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/the-works-of-the-righteous-would-be-mortal-sins-if-they-would-not-be/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [Do not suppose that abuses are eliminated by destroying the object which is abused. Men can go wrong with wine and women. Shall we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/do-not-suppose-that-abuses-are-eliminated-by-destroying-the-object/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [“For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. Romans 3:28”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/for-we-maintain-that-a-man-is-justified-by-faith-apart-from-observing/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [There are only two days on my calendar... today and the day of judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/there-are-only-two-days-on-my-calendar-today-and-the-day-of-judgment/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [ Antichrist is the pope and the Turk \[Muslim\] together. A beast full of life must have a body and soul. The spirit or soul… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/antichrist-is-the-pope-and-the-turk-muslim-together-a-beast-full-of/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [It is not the imitation that makes sons; it is sonship that makes imitators.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/it-is-not-the-imitation-that-makes-sons-it-is-sonship-that-makes/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) [Explore all 1,292 Martin Luther quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) ## More Church quotes > [While the 1963 Birmingham church bombing is the most historic, there also was a series of church burnings in the 1990s. 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It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-building-it-s-not-a-preaching/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [There could be no more powerful argument against mixing religion and government than the success of independent African American churches in placing racial segregation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/there-could-be-no-more-powerful-argument-against-mixing-religion-and/) [Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/) > [Worship is not about personality, temperament, personal limitations, church background, or comfort. It is about God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wimber/worship-is-not-about-personality-temperament-personal-limitations/) [John Wimber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wimber/) > [A beggarly people, A church and no steeple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/a-beggarly-people-a-church-and-no-steeple/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [Pound St. Paul's Church into atoms, and consider any single atom; it is to be sure, good for nothing; but put all these atoms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/pound-st-paul-s-church-into-atoms-and-consider-any-single-atom-it-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The religion of art, like the religion of politics, was born from the ruins of Christianity. 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