What, in your opinion, is the point of marriage/civil union?

Question

What is the point of getting married, or having a civil union. I realize that marriage is generally about religion which is fine. But other than that reason, what is the point of marriage? How would you define it?

Answer 1

Marriage is a social construction which may once have served the purpose of providing some security for women at the cost of their ability to own themselves.

Now that men and women are legally supposed to be treated equally it is just a way of getting tax breaks.

It could also be used as a celebration of love and commitment.

However, it has become obsolete. There is now no need for the government to be involved at all. Even in religious dogma the priest does not cause the couple to become married. The couple marries each other while the priest talks them through the ritual.

Answer 2

Marriage should be (and used to be much moreso) a transformation from partners.... to family.  When you think of your family you may think of the brother you dislike, or the parent you are embarrassed by, or the sister who aggravated you.  You may remember wanting desperately to get out of that madhouse, but also remember missing those wierdos terribly.  You may never have chosen those people as your family in a million years, but regardless you would sacrifice your life for them.

Thats familly....... and marriage is the one opportunity in life to actually choose a new member.  You get to interview a prospective new family member and decide if they are right.  You never get that opportunity any other way.  Even your kids are a c**p shoot.... you don't know how your kids will grow up, or how they will look, or act, or think.

Unfortunately marriage is not seen like this anymore.... if it were divorce would not exist.  We don't hear people often forsaking their brothers or sisters...... or even parents (even when the parents were terrible) because it is inconceivable.  Even when you dislike the people you have no choice because they are family.  Thats how marriage should be..... you lock in a new family member and your stuck with it.  Better or worse, richer or poorer, until death.  Thats family, and that is supposed to be marriage.  A bad partnership can be dissolved, a bad friendship can be cut off, a bad family member must be embraced.  Thats the whole point.

IMO second marriages are not only a joke, but an insult (unless the person is a widow or widower, then it is okay).  As for g*y marriage, I think they have every right to this same single choice as straights do.  I cannot see any conceivable way that this diminishes marriage..... divorce on the other hand diminishes the very concept of marriage, and has pretty much ruined it.

Answer 3

Marriage is about possession. We like to raise the steaks of things, so little pieces of paper (contracts) and trifling rituals make us feel like things are "real."

Marriage is just an attempt to express the egocentric desire for possession in a material fashion.

It is not premised on anything more than evolutionary impulsion. That means religion is not underscored by "love" or some romantic notion of human intercourse (and I don't mean "s*x").

In short, marriage is a vane attempt to "officiate" the crude material of nature and evolutionary psychology into some "real" permanent, durable substance (we call loyalty/faith/commitment/etc).

However, nature did not design marriage to last; the only true aim is reproduction. This is why faith and commitment are not needed by nature to produce children-- only desire and delusion.

Hence, most marriages fail.

Marriage is more of imaginative interpretation than of indefectible substance.

Answer 4

marriage is not about religion.  it is about getting round loneliness and aloneness.   it is about being whole not only mentally but physically sexually emotionally intellectually.  and of course morally.

Answer 5

"Soul Mates and Twin Flames," Elizabeth Clare Prophet, gives a good deal of insight.

"Sacred Psychology of Love:  The Quest for Relationships that Unite Heart and Mind," Marilyn C. Barrick, Ph.D., and

"For Women Only," Shaunti Feldhahn, are also worthwhile.

"Expecting Adam," Martha Beck, Ph.D., is extremely worthwhile, profound, warm, and humorous.

Answer 6

Study mating in the animal kingdom.  In general, the more work needed to raise offspring to independence, the longer couples mate, many for life.  The most clearly tangible benefit for humans is maintaining a stable relationship long enough to raise children.  The institution formalizes the lifetime commitment.  Governments have recognized the value of this relationship to society, so they take steps to strengthen and preserve it.  The civil union is a legal maneuver to misappropriate legal benefits for marriage.  It's a counterfeit.  Friendships don't need legal protection.

Answer 7

A legally binding covenant, oath or vow to seal and bind a relationship between two partners. The bond is stated as life long but there are escape clauses if the vows are broken or reneged upon.

Civil marriage also has legal merits and tax advantages, and offers legitimacy to future offspring.

Answer 8

Convenience.  (Health insurance, tax breaks, help with the bills &/or household responsibilities, if you're lucky, not having to go on the prowl for s*x... I could go on and on, but it's all about convenience).