Friday, February 20, 2009 at 10:14AM | in Other Why marry?
Anyone else puzzled by the weird dissonance between the two strands of public debate about marriage? Heterosexuals don't see the point any more, and for many homosexuals a legal marriage is seen as a human right. What does marriage mean these days?
David, over at Correlating, summarizes some interesting new research on marriage, health and happiness:
David, over at Correlating, summarizes some interesting new research on marriage, health and happiness:
The traditional social science justifications for marriage are slipping away - and why shouldn't they? Marriage, like everything else, has to be revolutionized. What is needed, then, are new justifications but even more than that, new models. The current model of healthy long-term relationships in the West increasingly seems to be decoupled from traditional notions of marriage. The question for the future is, can it be re-coupled to a new, better conception of marriage?
Friday, February 20, 2009 at 10:14AM | in Other 
Reader Comments (2)
That's a very interesting post at 'Correlating', and I'm sure it's hard to interpret sociologic research - but that's what sociologists are for!
Your question "What does marriage mean these days?" might be best answered by someone with (over 30 years) experience I suppose although our marriage isn't perfect. So, to me it means (not necessarily in priority order) true friendship, sharing goals and activities, learning to care and be cared for, sexual intimacy and exploration, working together to raise children, financial partnership, unwillingness to give up, did I say love? ... and exploring new interests together when the kids leave home! (and I'm sure I've left out something important - forgiveness is another aspect!) Could we have done these things if we had co-habited and not made the commitment to marry? No way.
Purpose of marriage. Hmmm. To bring forth and raise children who will remember The Creator and serve humanity...???
I'm still working on that.