Scientology and marriage, within the Church of Scientology, are discussed in the book ''The Background, Ministry, Ceremonies & Sermons of the Scientology Religion''. Scientology weddings do not require that both parties of the wedding be adherents of Scientology. Nor does the Church necessarily exclude material from weddings of other faiths in its own ceremonies. One source, J. Gordon Melton, has ascribed this to Scientology trying to mollify members of the wedding partners' families.

Wedding ceremony

Scientology wedding ceremonies are similar to wedding ceremonies used by many religions. They typically include a bridal procession, best man, maid of honor, and the traditional seating of friends and family. The ceremony may include wedding customs used by other faiths. There are five versions of the ceremony: traditional, informal, single ring, double ring, and concise double ring. The Traditional ceremony includes: In the Double Ring ceremony, the ring symbolizes permanency and reaffirms the ARC principles within Scientology. ARC comprises three elements of Understanding: A is Affinity, R is Reality, and C is Communication.

Same-sex marriage

The Church of Scientology has had a controversial history regarding

LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term ...

issues and

same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being Mexico, constituting ...

. In recent years, the Church has publicly embraced the subject more so than in the past."Church of Scientology wants Gays", ''Fab!'' magazine, February 14, 2003

/ref> In 2005, a spokesperson for the Church told the '' New York Daily News'' that the Church had "not taken an official position on gay marriage, and that members prefer not to talk about it." In 2008 the Church supported Prop 8 in California which banned same-sex marriages, even in counties where they had been performed before. In 2009, award-winning writer Paul Haggis quit the church due to its apparent stance on homosexuality.

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes

Probably the most famous Scientology wedding was the one between

Tom Cruise Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962), known professionally as Tom Cruise, is an American actor and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actors, he has received various accolades, including an Honorary Palme d'Or and three Go ...

and Katie Holmes on Saturday, November 18, 2006. Cruise and Holmes announced their engagement in June 2005. Scientologist spokesperson Karen Pouw stated that as part of their nuptial vows, "they won't go to sleep at night without having repaired any upset they may have had during the day,".''Washington Post'', "Scientologist Cruise to pledge loyalty, maybe a Cat", by Jill Serjeant, Wednesday, November 15, 2006

/ref>

United Kingdom decision

In 2008, Louisa Hodkin and then fiancé Alessandro Calcioli were denied the right to marry in a Church of Scientology chapel in London due to a 1970 High Court ruling that said that "Scientology services were not 'acts of worship.'" Hodkin initiated legal action, and after a five-year battle, in December 2013, five Supreme Court judges ruled that the church was "a place of meeting for religious worship." In early 2014, Hodkin and Calcioli wed in the Scientology chapel in Blackfriars, London, and Hodkin expressed pride in the victory, which she felt put an end to inequality for people of all faiths.

References

External links

Scientology Wedding Ceremonies

{{DEFAULTSORT:Scientology And Marriage Marriage and religion Marriage, Scientology and