Marriage?

[Yorick]

I'm wondering what marriage means to you?

If you could start your reply by letting us know if you are married, single, divorced or seperated, that would be great. [img]smile.gif[/img] Helps put the view in context. Additionally, whether you are a person of faith or whether your faith affects your views or not would also be cool. As would your nation of origin, and whether in your opinion this affects your view of marriage.

But each to their own.

What is the significance of marriage? Why would you/did you get married?
Should there be a ceremony? Do you believe that any ceremonies are necessary?
What is the difference between living together and being married? Is there a difference in your opinion?
Do you believe in divorce? How does this affect your view of marriage?

The questions are not meant to be answered per se, but are to give a roadmap of thought process.

I'll post my own after a bit. This isn't to proclaim a view(s), but discover what views are out there. The gay marriage thread made me realise that some here regard marriage in a totally fundamentally different light to what I for example do, and I would love to have clarity as to what that regard entails.

So we can understand each other. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[ 02-14-2004, 04:19 AM: Message edited by: Yorick ]

[Djinn Raffo]

Single male, lives alone with a cat. Faith is not a deist and not a non deist.

I don't care about labels and I would rather see two people that I could call happy than two people that you could not.

[ 02-14-2004, 04:36 AM: Message edited by: Djinn Raffo ]

[Djinn Raffo]

That's an all enveloping 'you' i meant there.. like 'they'

[Yorick]

C'mon Djinn. Forget the gay marriage issue, and give a description of what you believe marriage is/should be. What IS it in your mind.

It's such a huge grey thing. I am baffled a little by some perceptions of it, and would love to understand those a little clearer. Let's define what it is in our own minds.

Is it social recognition? Is it a spiritual union? Is it commitment for life? Is it a way to raise kids? Is it a legal union? Is it a way to force/encourage people to stay together.

Forget agendas and political issue for a moment and focus on what the meaning of the word is.

You're a smart guy, I know you can do it.

[Yorick]

Hey, I'll be in Vancouver mid-late March. Are you near there?

[Chewbacca]

Well, Im getting married April 24th.

My opening thoughts will be expressed with a part from my favorite poem:
***************************
From
The PROPHET, by Kahlil Gibran

On Marriage


Then Almitra spoke again and said, "And what of Marriage, master?"

And he answered saying:

You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore.

You shall be together when white wings of death scatter your days.

Aye, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.

But let there be spaces in your togetherness,

And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.

Love one another but make not a bond of love:

Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.

Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup.

Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf.

Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,

Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.

Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.

For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.

And stand together, yet not too near together:

For the pillars of the temple stand apart,

And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.
******************************

I will have more in my own words later.

[johnny]

Marriage is nothing but a businessagreement, which can easily be terminated by a single phonecall.

[Djinn Raffo]

I really don't care about marriage screw it. If two people are happy together and make an amicable union fantastic. If more than two are happy and make an amicable union fantastic, good for them.

Yep, I'm near Vancouver.

[Djinn Raffo]

And if solo is happy, fantastic.

[Link]

Although marriage essentially is nothing special or new, people do seem to 'fuss' about it a lot. I had a conversation about marriage not too long ago with a girl and she said she definitely wants to marry at one point. I told her I didn't know: if the opportunity arose and if I felt like marrying (can't put it any better than that) I probably would.

If you love one another marriage is not that important: you're not going to make any significant changes in your behaviour are you? On the other hand: marriage is also telling the one you love that you choose for him/her and nothing else. That you're willing to share your entire life (and that's long!) with that particular person. That's kinda impressive as well.

Oh, by the way, I'm single.