Kerrie
Staff Emeritus
Gold Member
- 839
- 15
legally, marriage has it's benefits...here in america, you don't have to be wed by the church...
example: you have found the perfect mate-whether they are the same gender or not...if something were to happen to your mate-say an accident, or medical condition that required another sound mind to make decisions based on what your mate would want, who has the right to make that decision? legally, the next of kin (mother, father, brother, sister, etc) if you are not "legally tied" to your mate...this is not old fashioned in my opinion, but i would much rather have my fiance make these decisions of me over my family as my family doesn't know me as well as he does...
another: health insurance and other benefits...if one is working outside the home and has the ability to obtain these, but the other does not work "outside the home" (because s/he is self-employed, or takes care of children, etc), what about the benefits of covering the other mate?
aside from the whole morality issue with the church, i think LEGAL marriage should be defined as accepting the responsibilities and benefits of another (over age 18) until both choose to end that contract (Divorce)...
i won't even touch the polygamy issue...
Russ~
laws should only be concerned with protecting the rights of others, not interfering with what people choose to do with their own life...ie: murder, stealing, etc...
example: you have found the perfect mate-whether they are the same gender or not...if something were to happen to your mate-say an accident, or medical condition that required another sound mind to make decisions based on what your mate would want, who has the right to make that decision? legally, the next of kin (mother, father, brother, sister, etc) if you are not "legally tied" to your mate...this is not old fashioned in my opinion, but i would much rather have my fiance make these decisions of me over my family as my family doesn't know me as well as he does...
another: health insurance and other benefits...if one is working outside the home and has the ability to obtain these, but the other does not work "outside the home" (because s/he is self-employed, or takes care of children, etc), what about the benefits of covering the other mate?
aside from the whole morality issue with the church, i think LEGAL marriage should be defined as accepting the responsibilities and benefits of another (over age 18) until both choose to end that contract (Divorce)...
i won't even touch the polygamy issue...
Russ~
Don't kid yourself - that's what all laws are about.
laws should only be concerned with protecting the rights of others, not interfering with what people choose to do with their own life...ie: murder, stealing, etc...