Is marriage even necessary anymore?

Question

for any good reasons?

Answer 1

It was never "necessary" but that doesn't detract from the fact that a marriage is a special bond that many people wish to share.

edit:

My wife wants me to add this quote from her favorite movie.

"We get married because we need a witness to our lives.There's 6 billion people on the planet;what does any one life really mean? But in a marriage you're promising to care about everything. The good things, the bad things, the terrible things, the mundane things, all of it, all the time of everyday. You're saying, your life will not go unnoticed because I will notice it. Your life will not go unwitnessed because I will be your witness."

Answer 2

Yes.  It is that special bond between and man and a woman.  It is necessary to show that all others are forsaken for your spouse.  The one you promised your life to in the presence of God.

Answer 3

About half don't get married, and half of the half that do, get divorced.

Answer 4

Necessary? As in "absolutely essential"? Well, it never was absolutely essential. Lots of people never married in years past. My great aunt Kate, who was born in 1868 or so, right around the end of the US Civil War, never married. So it would be hard to make a case for its having ever been essential, even for women, even 150 yrs. ago.

Are there any good reasons to do it still? I think so, I mean, I'm married. I didn't marry till I was in my mid 30s, though. I was plenty happy being single. I traveled a lot. I put myself through university. But I was ready to settle down. I was tired of having the equivalent of a full-time 2nd job to maintain a social life. I had an active social life most of the time, but people would marry, move away, have kids, and it seemed like it was a lot of work to constantly rebuild that social network. It did get lonesome sometimes, and it was a LOT of work to keep things hoppin so it didn't get lonely. It's nice not to HAVE to go out for company, or have people in for companionship, on a cold night, or on a Friday after I've worked hard all week. I have a built-in friend, a built-in home movie date. ;-)

I got married 20+ years ago and greatly expanded my "family". My husband is one of 8 kids, and so I have all his brothers & sisters and now all their spouses and their kids in my family. The bonds are permanent after all this time. I've watched their kids grow up, we've got a few going off to college this fall. I'm more connected and involved by being married than I would be if I wasn't, and I like that, even though WE never had kids.

It's nice to have a built-in "safety net" with my husband's health insurance, income, etc., too. I can't say it's not.

If I outlive my husband, I don't think I'd remarry, though. Been there, done that. I might be a foster parent. I like creating those "enduring family connections". Or I might join the Peace Corps.

I dunno ... .

Answer 5

Of course.

Most societies without ideological pressures do have marriages. It is a message to the rest of the "tribe" that these two people are reserved to each other and are serious about creating a family. It then is a no go area for other people to have affairs with them. It also elicits help from others to help the happy couple.

Answer 6

Well, it's obviously not for everyone but aside from love, it is very beneficial (security & stability for personal, financial reasons, etc.) for much of the general population not just in the States but globally especially as far as arranged marriages go (financial security for maternal side). I am a strong advocate of marriage.

Answer 7

A couple good reasons are for things like sharing benefits, and other financial things like wills. If your spouse dies then its easier to take care of their assets then if you weren't, then again you would also inherit their financial liabilities. For romantical reasons, no big reasons. I think that it is some sort of "celebration" of your love. I mean it costs a butt-load (G-rated for yahoo!), but you have a good time and usually don't regret having a wedding. Though you said marriage, which is a paper, compare to wedding...

Answer 8

Yes, many people still do it for religious or spiritual reasons. It i a celebration of love, you officially join names and become family.

Answer 9

It's pretty much a total risk for men.  You risk losing your home, money, and sanity.

It's best not to get married.  If she feels like you could leave her without too much hassle then she'll make more effort to keep you happy.  

That and the laws are extremely biased against men.  Even more so against married men.  Don't buy into the facade.

Anyone who thinks you marry for love, is wrong.  You don't need marriage to be in love or live together as a couple.  Marriage is for women, plain and simple.

"One should not get married to solidify a relationship.  It should be solid enough on it's own before even considering marriage."  -  Me

Answer 10

It is only a piece of paper, if you have true love, it is unnecessary, it is your vows that you make between yourselves, that truely matters anyhow, or at least that is my opinion, of course, I also believe that a man should take care of a woman.

Answer 11

Only for the tax breaks, which I believe are discriminatory to single people. We should all file as individuals.

Answer 12

It helps people be civilized.  And to raise children.

Answer 13

Nope.

Answer 14

To me, marriage is just a legal status. You don't need to be married to be able to trust each other to be loyal and stuff. Raising children is a much stronger bond, in my opinion. As my dad always says, you can get unmarried but you can't un-have kids.

Slightly off topic, I think it's really stupid to get married without having shared a home for at least a year beforehand. Marriage is still a big deal and I would never make that commitment without knowing that our everyday living habits are compatible.

Answer 15

yes. i think marriage is necessary because it is really wonderful and because of the whole being married before kids thing. some people may not think that way (pitt +jolie and many other stars) but i think it is a really great thing. i do think that if you are old enough and have been together for a long time and its at a "right time" in your life, you can have a baby without being married. i wouldnt but thats just an opinion.

Answer 16

I really think that society should be starting to move on..

Answer 17

Marriage scares me. I don't want one like my parents have. but I think there are very good strong marriages you just have to be lucky to find that one special person to love. God Bless

Answer 18

Live-in relationships tend to disintegrate at a much faster rate than marriages so if there are kids involved its usually a more stable environment for them to live in.  I know married couples who don't have kids and they married out of love, a sense of permanence, total commitment.  There are also demonstrable, economic perks in marriage - married people tend to do much better than their non-married counterparts (including co-habiting couples).

People whose first marriage is in their thirties (or beyond) almost never divorce.  Kids who marry in their teens or early 20's are pretty much guaranteed to divorce.  Figure the rest out for yourself.

*Shawn S that was absolutely beautiful!