Defining Marriage

Recently, people have been arguing with respect to the definition of marriage. To get married is a very important event for almost everyone. Particularly for women, marriage and giving a birth could be the two major events of their lives. Andrew Sullivan and William Bennett are authors who are arguing about homosexual marriage. Sullivan believes in same-sex marriage because he thinks everyone has a right to marry. On the other hand, Bennett speaks out against Sullivan’s opinion. Bennett makes a claim that marriage is between a man and a woman structuring their entire life together. Both authors’ opinions differ on same-sex marriage. Nevertheless, their ideas are well recognized.

The reality and images of marriage are pondered to expound and to enlighten human life and destiny in front of God.

Marriage, as once seen as a cultural and normative step in life, is now not so trending. As Hewitt and Baxter (2011) state that cohabitation has become more a traditional pathway to marriage, if not completely skipping the whole idea of it. As the rates of marriage have gone down, consequently, the rates of divorce and separation have increased. Due to these results, people rely on the idea of “try before you buy”. This means that they live together like a married couple, cohabitating, without any legal union in order to see their compatibility and if their relationship will last in the long run when they spend a lot of time together sharing a dwelling and expenses. Cohabitation rates have doubled over the last decade, as it has become a social part of relationships and is seen a lot, especially in the American culture (Haung & Smoch, 2011).

Marriage has been defined differently throughout the centuries. Today Merriam-Webster defines marriage as, “the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law” (“Marriage”). Due to the recent Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and Transsexual or LGBT movement, Merriam-Webster also added a second line to the definition reading “The state of being

What is the definition of marriage? Over the years, the word marriage has been challenged from its current definition as listed in Merriam-Webster 's Dictionary as an act of marrying or being married between a man and a woman. Marriage can also be defined in the Oxford Dictionary as the formal union of a man and a woman, typically recognized by law, by which they become husband and wife. The word marriage becomes a special type of bond between two people that share the same desire to become the other person’s life partner. Marriage can be challenging between two people based on their current government state laws, in their religious and cultural beliefs as well as challenging to the word to be defined

Marriage is a binding contract between two individuals. It is a way to show each other that they are ready to spend the rest of their lives with each other. A marriage is much more than a wedding dress, wedding cake, and rings. It takes loyalty and commitment to each other. In the Elizabethan era, William Shakespeare’s romantic comedy A Midsummer Nights Dream shows through motifs how people struggle with a new marriage, but in the end the fight results in a stronger marriage.

Marriage is not as easy as most people think, and today people seem to be going into marriage planning for a divorce. Studies have estimated that one third of weddings today form step families, making one third of households in the United States blended families (Gillespie, 2004). The rate of divorce is higher, about 60%, for remarried couples putting the children and adult in a cycle of marriage, marital conflict, divorce, single status, and remarriage (Sigelman & Rider, 2013). It is true that there is no cut and dry manual to make a marriage work. Unfortunately research shows that finances are the number one cause of marital strain (Focus on the Family, 2008). Families with less money live in constant dread of financial drains. Things like illness, layoffs, car repairs, or home repairs can be devastating (Weiten, Lloyd, Dunn & Hammer, 2009).

Why do people get married? What does marriage stand for? Marriage is as a union of two people who wish to unite their lives together. The reason that people today get married is for love. However, marriage means more than love. A reason why many people today get married is that they have found companionship, love, and comfort in another person. The idea of marriage has different meanings to people. Some marry for money, love or resources. As time changes, many philosophies have change with it. Juliet H Severance, states in her book “Marriage” that “marriage institution claim that it offers the best possible opportunity for individual and collective happiness” (Severence 3).The author emphasizes that marriage is a way to achieve happiness. Many

Marriage has always had one meaning from the beginning of time, which is a union between a man and a woman. However, more recently this definition has been changed to a marriage between two people no matter what their gender is. There are many opinions on marriage which can be seen in the scripture, the YOUCAT, in society, as well as in modern movies. These all have different point of views which portray marriage very differently.

Cohabitation is and has been a norm in almost all societies in the world. It has been perceived as the stepping stone to marriage by the modern generation. In Whitman, (2003), cohabitation has grown so widely that there is one cohabiting couple out of 7 marriages in 2010 as compared to 1 out of 90 marriages in 1960. According to her, the attitude towards the whole of marriage institution has changed drastically over time. In the same article, currently in the US, of 3 single women, 1 chooses to live with their partners before marriage as compared to the 1950’s where only 1 out of 10 chooses so. Another statistics reveal that, the number of cohabitating partners have increased exponentially from 430,000 in 1960 to 5.4

The redefinition of marriage matters not just superficially, but because the way we define words altars our perceptions of them, ourselves, and the world around us (Phillips 7). In other words, it is clear that Americans have come to view marriage as something more than a contract between a man and a woman—that the lens through which we view the world is changing and we need to change with it. We need to embrace this new definition of marriage.

What does marriage mean? By definition, marriage is “the legal union of a man and a woman as husband and wife” (Webster’s Dictionary). Most people claim that they want their marriage to last a lifetime. Because over half of all marriages in the United States end in a divorce, most people lack the understanding of what it takes to stay married. I believe that couples should become more aware of the commitment that they are making when they enter into marriage.

Marriage is a monogamous, covenant relationship between two heterosexual people. A covenant relationship is “an unconditional commitment” (Balswick & Balswick, 2014, p.8). This is important to understanding what marriage is and what it is not.

“ Why people need to marry with someone? Why do we need a piece of paper to prove that I love you ? Marriage does not mean anything. We are living together now. Is not it good enough for us” my friend’ boyfriend said to her when she mentioned she want a marriage. After he had said that, she broke up with him soon. I began to wonder what is the meaning of marriage ? Even though I understand why people think marriage means nothing, I disagree. A marriage license is a piece of paper but it is not just a piece of paper; marriage means a lot to yourself, your family, and society. Marriage has many social and economic value that could help the development of any country.

Although marriage has been a central factor and gives meaning to human lives, the change in people’s lifestyles and behaviors through a long period of social development has resulted in alternate choices such as being single or nonmarital living. As a result, cohabitation has become more popular as a trendy life choice for young people. The majority of couples choose cohabitation as a precursor to marriage to gain a better understanding of each other. However, there are exceptions, such as where Thornton, Azinn, and Xie have noted: “In fact, the couple may simply slide or drift from single into the sharing of living quarters with little explicit discussion or decision-making. This sliding into cohabitation without