http://marriage.ygoy.com Just another WordPress weblog Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:41:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 http://marriage.ygoy.com/living-together-without-marriage/comment-page-1/#comment-1369 linda a. Wed, 13 May 2009 13:38:48 +0000 http://marriage.ygoy.com/living-together-without-marriage/#comment-1369 I don't know where to begin---this article suggests such a limited and superficial understanding of "marriage" that to fully respond would require volumes on the subject. As I have neither the time nor the inclination to engage in such an endeavor let me address the point which appears to be at the heart of your entire premise--that being that "marriage is mostly a ritual and traditional act" . While there are rituals and traditions attached to this age old institution, marriage is actually a "union"--specifically the union of the two people into a singly recognized unit. Put simply when one enters into marriage they are formally and publicly stating that they are ONE with the other person-- from that day forward what happens to one happens to both.They accept full and complete responsibility (social, financial, medical etc.) for the other. Based on this full measure of commitment--this complete union--historically couples who have entered into this union have been privy to certain limited legal privleges. Those are merely a by product of the union, not the union itself as you imply-- because MARRIAGE is a FULL commitment not simply a function of address change. There is no half measure, no trial period, no testing the pasta in smaller quantities.Compared to marriage, cohabitation is "playing house". I don’t know where to begin—this article suggests such a limited and superficial understanding of “marriage” that to fully respond would require volumes on the subject. As I have neither the time nor the inclination to engage in such an endeavor let me address the point which appears to be at the heart of your entire premise–that being that “marriage is mostly a ritual and traditional act” . While there are rituals and traditions attached to this age old institution, marriage is actually a “union”–specifically the union of the two people into a singly recognized unit. Put simply when one enters into marriage they are formally and publicly stating that they are ONE with the other person– from that day forward what happens to one happens to both.They accept full and complete responsibility (social, financial, medical etc.) for the other. Based on this full measure of commitment–this complete union–historically couples who have entered into this union have been privy to certain limited legal privleges. Those are merely a by product of the union, not the union itself as you imply– because MARRIAGE is a FULL commitment not simply a function of address change. There is no half measure, no trial period, no testing the pasta in smaller quantities.Compared to marriage, cohabitation is “playing house”.

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