[Noos]

The problem is that marriage is really a necessary evil for Christianity, and a required one if you wish to engage in sex at all. It won't exist in heaven (jesus said we shall be as the angels there), and Paul outright says that its better to be unmarried to serve the kingdom of God.

The issue with this kind of view is that without the divine commands, why get married? Why have to deal with wrongness at all? And you kind of see the issue with secular people now, who choose other values over opportunities to exercise grace, as you put it.

[zebrafish]

I have to disagree with you here, but I am reformed, not Roman Catholic so I may have different beliefs than others you've come across. Christians believe marriage was established by God in the beginning of time. The ten commandments and other laws contain laws particularly for married individuals. Christ presided over a marriage in the New Testament. Paul gives advice in Ephesians as to how husbands and wives should treat each other. Paul's advice in Corinthians is related to his status as a lifetime single, fully devoted to spreading the gospel as an apostle of God, and I think it gives relief to those who don't find a partner in life. I don't think it's appropriate to single out this one section to stand as the Bible's entire stance on marriage. The other examples provide the biblical view that marriage is a gift from God, intended, as all things were, to reflect His glory back to Him. As for marriage in heaven, I don't know enough about the theology around the New Heavens and New Earth to say, but I know marriage is intended to be a picture of Christ and His Church and we will ultimately be "married" to Christ in eternity. Constantly praising and in awe of His Glory. So considering that, I would say there is no longer the need for the covenant of earthly marriage.