Tradition And Culture, We Now Pronounce You Man And Wife

There comes a point in everyone’s life that this question or subject is brought up - “Are you dating anyone?” “When are you guys getting married?” When these questions are asked from family and friends, it pressures people into finding that special one. Even though, people do experience those desires and questions for themselves; does it make it right to feel that need? What is marriage? Is marriage a contract or love? What if marriage is not what people perceive it to be? What if marriage is not the happily ever after often seen in the movies? Laurie Essig and Lynn Owens are two scholars that wrote a piece entitled, What If Marriage Is Bad for Us? that contended the institution purpose of marriage is obsolete and in reality bad for society, and how marriage can lead to changed, unhealthy, and distressed.

“Marriage and Love”, a short essay by Emma Goldman, gives a wonderful argument regarding love and marriage, in fact, she nails it. Marriage does not equal love or has anything nothing to do with it. Not only that, but the marriage could also easily kill whatever relationship was there prior to the declaration. Marriage is simply a social construct, one that imposes control by religion, tradition, and social opinion (Goldman 304). However, if marriage is such the ball and chain that we all joke about, then why do people get married?

Love is defined as an intense feeling of deep affection. Although it is not as easily defined as some may make it. Every situation and the lessons we learn from those times, help to form what we believe love to be. For some it may be a physical attachment that others degrade to lust. For some it may be their reason for continuing on in life; but overall for most, love is what drives our lives. From childhood to adulthood we seek to find relationships that will fulfill our hearts and make our short time on Earth a little more enjoyable. However as well as any other activity we partake in, ways in which we perceive love and marriage have changed over time. Although there is slight variations, when most imagine the life of a married couple pure happiness is what is expected. As wonderful as that expectation may be, not every marriage fits into this ideal. The criteria of marriage used to be based off of what your partner can offer you. However as times have changed and gender roles have begun to disappear, marriage has now

The “love revolution” has been progressing for quite a bit of time. It has changed the purpose of marriage greatly. Author Stephanie Coontz in the article, Gay marriage isn't revolutionary. It's just the next step in marriage's evolution, points out that “marriage was about property and power rather than love” accentuating how marriages were arranged by the parents in order to gain wealth or expand their labor force. Roughly two centuries ago, “people began to believe that they had a right to choose their partners on the basis of love” this is a pivotal moment, changing the whole entire meaning of marriage, no longer putting value on money for marriage (Coontz). Although the meaning of marriage changed, the patriarchy remained, it wasn’t until

According to Köstenberger and Jones, God, Marriage, and Family, the western civilization is confronted with the need to define the meaning of the terms marriage and family (. p.15). I do believe that we as people got away from the design God intended for marriage and family. I never grew up with my father in the home and my parents never were married. My mother did marry but I never saw their marriage the way God intended for marriage and family to be according to His Word. The home was so dysfunctional that I developed emotional problems that carried into my adult life. As an adult I never knew I had problems until I got married myself. Even in my marriage it was not geared to what God intended. My ex-husband grew up with his father and mother in the home but did not learn about marriage and family God’s way. His father was very abusive to his mother and it was carried into our home. Both of us has two different beliefs on marriage and family. He believed that the wife has no voice and she

Marriage is a system of binding a man and woman together for the reproduction, care (physical/emotional), and socialization of offspring. Marriage is a social and legal contract between a couple and the state in which they reside that regulates their economic and sexual relationship. (David, Caroline: 2005)

Marriage can be defined as a legal union of people coming together, combing their resources, and committing to their partner(s). It functions more than just a union of two people and may have a much broader significance than the relationship between husband and wife. Marriage brings families together and expands families by having children. It also provides information of the growth of families from one generation to the next (Dettwyler, 2011).

In Ralph Richard Banks’ book entitled “Is Marriage for White People?” the definition of marriage varies from different cultures and views. The most popular and idealistic notion is that marriage is a result of the unconditional love of two people wanting to share this union for the rest of their lives, in a long committed way. For some however, marriage is more of an economic arrangement, like a pact for two people to catch each other when the other one falls. And for others, it is only a piece of paper that can be thrown away if not needed, or by simple saying, marriage is not important.

What is the reason for two people to get married: for fame, for fortune, for family, or for love? Why should only those who have been deemed acceptable by society be allowed to marry? Do we as people have the right to deny two people who love each other a holy matrimony because they are different? Marriage has many definitions, and what some people think will destroy the sanctity of the marriage we hold so dearly has actually been keeping it alive for centuries. William Bennett’s essay “Against Gay Marriage” promotes a conservative marriage ideal while Stephanie Coontz’ “The Radical Idea of Marrying for Love” promotes multiple ideas of what marriage can be. Both have very different views on fidelity, monogamous marriages, and same sex couples and their effect on marriage. However there is clearly no one correct way to be married.

Marriage is a union between two people. The purpose of marriage is to love and support the other person, through good times and through bad. With this being said, marriage has the opportunity to make you a better person, who is more flourished and happier. Although marriages have the opportunity to happy, lifelong relationships, they also have the opportunity to be loveless and more of a burden than a gift.

Tina Turner once sang, “What’s love got to do with it?” Within the song, Turner’s answer to this question is to focus only on her feelings of attraction, thus rejecting any romantic feelings. The same question can be posed to the concept of marriage. Marriage might seem easily definable: a legal union of two people. However, the motivations behind marriage differ across cultures. In America marriage is often linked with the idea of love. However, the idea of marriage as a bond of love is specific to Western culture. Additionally, marrying for love is a fairly new idea. Historically various cultures, many European, used marriage as a political tool. In this way, marriage was about gaining

While marriage during modern times is usually made out of love between two humans,

Looking at Marriage today, as the age of enlightenment has hit America, Timothy Keller says in his book The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God, “Marriage was seen as a contract between two parties for mutual individual growth and satisfaction. In this view, married persons married for themselves, not to fulfill responsibilities to God or society.” Although marriage is only between two people, the concepts can be applied to any community, as God ordained marriage as the holy community, sealed by and through him. Marriage is supposed to be all about serving one another, and growing spiritually and morally through the years, not about feeding off of sexual gains and other individual desires. This is why divorce rates are so high, and why so many fights happen. It is because America has lost the definition and beauty of marriage, as it is often portrayed as a trap, or a “settle down” type thing. Not at all, because marriage is all about spiritual growth through each other and the

Ritual and Vows of Christian Marrage and Their Influence on the Differing Ways that Couples Approach Marraige and Marital Breakdown

In the article “For Better, For Worse: Marriage Means Something Different Now,” Author Stephanie Coontz talks about “marriage is no longer the main way in which societies regulate sexuality and parenting or organize the division of labor between men and women”. Likewise, people have no longer traditional value, and Now they need love, mutual understanding and faithful person to live with. So, if a couple is not able to get all these requirements then a couple don’t stay in a relationship. Additionally, if a couple is married, but they don’t love each other threat they take divorce. Apparently, marriage is not all about love between a couple, but it is about connecting loved once and children both. However, there are different situations such