In case you are wondering, a shotgun wedding is one arranged in haste, especially because the bride is pregnant. This is mostly to avoid ‘embarrassment’ due to the premarital sex aspect. It is considered wrong for Christians to engage in premarital sex, and for this reason, also add the fear of being judged, and the resolution to go into marriage may arise.

The idea of a shotgun wedding may come from one’s family or religious affiliation. But I think that only God can judge us, so why should they be condemned by the church when the whole point of Christianity is ‘bringing the sinner closer to God’?

It is widely known that Jesus Christ died not for the righteous ones but for sinners. Whether people had premarital sex or not should not be the reason to be pressured and forced into a marriage, as it will not solve anything, on the contrary, possibly make the situation worse.

Marriage is a key event in any person’s life, it is the time one takes on various responsibilities. If it is forced then it will most likely not last. It may also lead to domestic violence or infidelity as the marriage was not based on love. A shotgun wedding may likely bring despair as it deprives a couple of their right to choose their ideal partner. Arranged marriage is unethical and should not be encouraged in church or anywhere else for that matter, we should all be free to decide what happens in our lives.

Many may think that shotgun weddings only have drawbacks but there are benefits to them. Shotgun weddings more often than not happen when the bride is pregnant. They prevent the couple from facing embarrassment and shame from their community, because by having a shotgun wedding, many may not realise that the bride was pregnant before the wedding.

Shotgun weddings may help one financially; raising a child as a single parent isn’t easy and so shotgun weddings are designed to make it easier, especially for the mother and child, as the man will have to take care of his wife and child.

A shotgun wedding shouldn’t be about going against one’s own community or religion. Many unwed mothers are often judged by the community and religion.

By having a shotgun wedding, both parents are present in the child’s life, and this will ensure the child grows up in a stable home. Many people raise children on their own with an absentee parent, which leaves a child without the love of both parents—deprived of full parental care.