yy said:
i don't believe in marriage, because it's just a piece of paper (well, also it could affect centrelink payments and superannuation, i suppose). but other than that, you can still get divorced anyway. it is supposedly be forever, and most people believe it will be forever, but people change, situations change, and they realise they're not for each other. it's better to divorce than become eternally frustrated. so from that aspect, marriage not that much better than de facto. mind you, religious people also get divorced nowadays. it's just that people always thought the other partner is the right one when they're in love, but stay a while longer, and problems start to occur. why do you put so much meaning in marriage anyway?
Me explaining all my values, probably won't make a lot of sense because with your reasoning they seem completely absurd. So to make sure I am not shoving my own values down your throat, I will give a reason that still may make sense.
To me when married, not only do the wife and husband realise they become a couple, but the entire community of witnesses recongnise that they are now one together. Even the changing of last names reflects this to show that both are now one.
To me the recognition that you both are now uniting together as one gives marriage the difference. You are not merely two people living together, but rather a new creation, that works and cares for each other. You become "we", rather than I. Or even "we" rather than two "I's".
Of course this is assuming we live in a perfect world, where people do treat each other properly, and when they don't there is forgiveness in the relationship. Unfortunatley, we don't live in that world, and people either give up or do not show integrity to make the relationship work.
Even this may not be making any sense, I'll be interested to hear your opinion anyway though.
