What is marriage?

Atreus21

Lifer
Aug 21, 2007
12,001
571
126
How do you define marriage, why, and what do you think marriage is for?

I'm not scared of homosexuals. I don't see the world being taken over by gay boogie-men that want to feminize me. If I thought the redefinition of marriage would stop forever at being between two people regardless of sex, I'd have no issue against it. My problem with gay marriage is that this is not the end or the limit to which marriage will be redefined, and the extent to which marriage loses its exclusive nature is the extent to which it ceases to be marriage.

So what is marriage?

My opinion: An institution in which to foster loyalty to a partnership, the transmission of life, and the rearing and cultivation of those lives brought into the world.

I think it is a grave mistake to hold marriage as abstract from child-bearing, as well as to hold love as the sole prerequisite to marriage.

I realize there are a dozen holes in my argument: Would I deny marriage to those who want no children? Of course not. I only ask that child-bearing be a point of emphasis.

I'd like to know what you think marriage is and what it's for.
 

Moonbeam

Elite Member
Nov 24, 1999
73,808
6,518
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I would define marriage is the ritualized external expression of a spiritual union that exists between two people whose love for each other is so powerful that it lasts for a lifetime.
 

MJinZ

Diamond Member
Nov 4, 2009
8,192
0
0
What is Divorce?

What does marriage mean when you flip a coin and you're destined to become the 50/50 statistic for failure?

Does it mean marriage is a joke?
 

Atreus21

Lifer
Aug 21, 2007
12,001
571
126
What is Divorce?

What does marriage mean when you flip a coin and you're destined to become the 50/50 statistic for failure?

Does it mean marriage is a joke?

I suppose Divorce is the means by which to end a marriage in the event that a vow is broken.

Seems to make sense.

If marriage isn't taken seriously at its inception, I suppose it is a joke, yes.
 

MJinZ

Diamond Member
Nov 4, 2009
8,192
0
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I suppose Divorce is the means by which to end a marriage in the event that a vow is broken.

Seems to make sense.

If marriage isn't taken seriously at its inception, I suppose it is a joke, yes.

You seem to fail to realize that Marriage is not at all as saintly as you imagine it to be, simply because Divorce actually exists. The fact that for every marriage that succeeds, there is one that fails, is just hilarity on the cake.
 

Atreus21

Lifer
Aug 21, 2007
12,001
571
126
You seem to fail to realize that Marriage is not at all as saintly as you imagine it to be, simply because Divorce actually exists. The fact that for every marriage that succeeds, there is one that fails, is just hilarity on the cake.

To me it doesn't matter. What is marriage for?
 

shira

Diamond Member
Jan 12, 2005
9,500
6
81
How do you define marriage, why, and what do you think marriage is for?

I'm not scared of homosexuals. I don't see the world being taken over by gay boogie-men that want to feminize me. If I thought the redefinition of marriage would stop forever at being between two people regardless of sex, I'd have no issue against it. My problem with gay marriage is that this is not the end or the limit to which marriage will be redefined, and the extent to which marriage loses its exclusive nature is the extent to which it ceases to be marriage.

So what is marriage?

My opinion: An institution in which to foster loyalty to a partnership, the transmission of life, and the rearing and cultivation of those lives brought into the world.

I think it is a grave mistake to hold marriage as abstract from child-bearing, as well as to hold love as the sole prerequisite to marriage.

I realize there are a dozen holes in my argument: Would I deny marriage to those who want no children? Of course not. I only ask that child-bearing be a point of emphasis.

I'd like to know what you think marriage is and what it's for.

A marriage is the legal relationship defined as "Marriage" by the state - between any two consenting persons (which may be non-adults if consent is provide via a legal guardian). It may be for any purpose the two participants desire.
 

drebo

Diamond Member
Feb 24, 2006
7,034
1
81
Marriage is a traditional religious institution that cannot be broken except by death.

The concept has been somewhat secularlized, sure, but the secular version is not the same. A secular "marriage" is not really a marriage, in the traditional sense.

I have no problem with extending the same rights to homosexual couples who go through the same process (civil union). However, I do not think it should be called "marriage". I don't even think that a civil union between heterosexual people should be called "marriage", because it's technically not.

If politicians were smart, they'd call it a "civil union", give it the same rights as a civil marriage, and be done with it. I would bet that if they did that, half the people who are "against" "gay marriage" would be fine with it.

After all, it's about the rights, isn't it? The name shouldn't be important to the people getting those rights.

Of course, taking this logical way out doesn't give politicians on either side talking points or big headlines.
 

WHAMPOM

Diamond Member
Feb 28, 2006
7,628
183
106
To me it doesn't matter. What is marriage for?

A property contract, just go to a divorce proceeding and you will see what marriage is all about. A wedding is to show off your wealth and status. Pretty much all the rest is the unwillingness to admit to making a mistake.
 

Carmen813

Diamond Member
May 18, 2007
3,189
0
76
its-a-trap.jpg



To me, it's the highest expression of commitment possible between two people. While children may be part of a marriage, I see them more as a potential product of a relationship, not a requirement for it.

Some will say marriage is a religious institution, blah blah, but to me that isn't what it's about.
 
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Cerpin Taxt

Lifer
Feb 23, 2005
11,940
542
126
If politicians were smart, they'd call it a "civil union", give it the same rights as a civil marriage, and be done with it. I would bet that if they did that, half the people who are "against" "gay marriage" would be fine with it.

After all, it's about the rights, isn't it? The name shouldn't be important to the people getting those rights.
I think accepting the term "civil union" with the totality of rights equivalent to "marriage" is a reasonable compromise, however in principle it smacks of "separate but equal."

I think in practice what would happen is that the marjority of people would describe homosexual unions as marriages anyway, since it's just easier than trying to explain how Mark and Steve are going to get "civil-unioned" on Saturday. Basically, the people still refusing to call it marriage would be simply self-identifying themselves as the leftover bigots.
 

her209

No Lifer
Oct 11, 2000
56,336
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Marriage is the process for getting half your stuff legally taken from you.

:D
 

her209

No Lifer
Oct 11, 2000
56,336
11
0
Marriage is the process for getting half your stuff legally taken from you.

:D
 

dfuze

Lifer
Feb 15, 2006
11,953
0
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Marriage is two different things:
1) for the religious it is a sign of your commitment to another person
2) for the state, it is essentially just a contract
 
Nov 29, 2006
15,745
4,276
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To me its just another word for civil union. All it is is a word for the legalization of a joining of two people who now have more additional rights and say into legal matters.
 

woolfe9999

Diamond Member
Mar 28, 2005
7,153
0
0
How do you define marriage, why, and what do you think marriage is for?

I'm not scared of homosexuals. I don't see the world being taken over by gay boogie-men that want to feminize me. If I thought the redefinition of marriage would stop forever at being between two people regardless of sex, I'd have no issue against it. My problem with gay marriage is that this is not the end or the limit to which marriage will be redefined, and the extent to which marriage loses its exclusive nature is the extent to which it ceases to be marriage.

So what is marriage?

My opinion: An institution in which to foster loyalty to a partnership, the transmission of life, and the rearing and cultivation of those lives brought into the world.

I think it is a grave mistake to hold marriage as abstract from child-bearing, as well as to hold love as the sole prerequisite to marriage.

I realize there are a dozen holes in my argument: Would I deny marriage to those who want no children? Of course not. I only ask that child-bearing be a point of emphasis.

I'd like to know what you think marriage is and what it's for.

FWIW, here is the definition offered by Dr. Nancy Cott, an expert for the plaintiffs in the California case, which is quoted in the ruling I linked in the other thread:

"A couple's choice to live with each other, to remain committed to one another, and to form a household based on their own feeling toward each other, and their agreement to join in an economic partnership and to support one another in terms of the material needs of life."

I note that by defining it as "couples" she is implicitly excluding polygamy. Her definition seems to have both an emotional and an economic component, and does not include child rearing as a necessary component.

- wolf
 

Vette73

Lifer
Jul 5, 2000
21,503
9
0
It is a legal license that you pay for and get from the Government. With that it provides each person privileges to each other and their gross estate.
 

MJinZ

Diamond Member
Nov 4, 2009
8,192
0
0
Wut? How does marriage protect interests?
If anything it puts your interests on the line does it not?

Just think about it.

For each person, it is protecting their own interests against the State in terms of real property, and special interests in terms of representation, survivorship etc.

Now, if you don't trust your spouse then... wait, that's what Divorce is.