when is someone considered "married"?
when the Government recognises it?
When it is done before God (or in some cases, gods and goddessess)
can to people traped on a desert island be married there and then by there own sweet selves?
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when is someone considered "married"?
when the Government recognises it?
When it is done before God (or in some cases, gods and goddessess)
can to people traped on a desert island be married there and then by there own sweet selves?
If you want to have the legal rights of a married couple, your marriage must be recognized by the state/country/etc. So, yes, you could say you're married on a deserted island, but you would not have any legal rights as a married couple until the appropriate paperwork was filed with the government.
but that begs the question: is marrage just paper work? Why dose the government have to acnoloage the marrage?
Yes, it is just paperwork. The government needs to recognize it if you want rights as a married couple (i.e. power-of-attorney, make all legal decisions on the behalf of your spouse, etc). For example, if your spouse dies, and you were never married legally, you have no rights to make any decisions on their behalf - you'd basically be considered a boyfriend/girlfriend with no rights to anything.Quote:
Originally Posted by Keeper
Some states have "common-law" marriages which means that if you've been together for a certain amount of time, you gain all the rights of a married couple without actually having to be married. Though I'm not sure how they would prove how long you've actually been with that person. I know that is no longer a law in Michigan, my ex-boyfriend's grandmother got totally screwed because she was married to her husband, then they got a divorce, then they got back together but never technicially re-married. Then he died and she was left with nothing - no money - nothing. She had no rights to anything since they were never remarried.
then were Marrages in the past not tru marrages?
Yes - Common Law Marriage <-- wiki linkQuote:
Originally Posted by Keeper
The essential distinctions of a common law marriage are:
1. Common law marriages are not licensed by government authorities.
2. Common law marriages are not necessarily solemnized.
3. There is no public record of a common law marriage (i.e., no marriage certificate).
4. Cohabitation alone does not amount to common law marriage; the couple in question must hold themselves out to the world to be husband and wife.
5. In some jurisdictions, a couple must have cohabited and held themselves out to the world as husband and wife for a minimum length of time for the marriage to be recognised as valid.
Common-law marriage can still be contracted in the following jurisdictions: Alabama, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, New Hampshire (posthumously), Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah.
See the link for the different countries who hold common-law marriages valid.
then, everyone who was born of the married couples in the anchent past where actually children born out of weadlock (bastereds)?
My own view on this is that a marrage is a marrage if it is doen before God
isn't that the original purpose of marrage for when a man and a woman where joined for God's glory?
why does the government have a say?
[edit] just had a look through wiki. new question: is a marrage made between a man and a woman before God less then a "legal" marrage in any of the real issues?
Well, the government runs everything, doesn't it? You can't exactly ask God, "ok, do I have legal rights to this guy's land if he dies?" (well, you can - you just won't get an answer :wink: )Quote:
Originally Posted by Keeper
I'm not going to get into the religious aspect of marriages here, or we'll have to move this to R&S.
okay :)
do you think someone could get married anywhere there is a government?
I would imagine so, but I don't pretend to be an authority on legal matters, so it would always be a good idea to research that country's specific laws to know for sure.Quote:
Originally Posted by Keeper
Back before the government started butting into everyone business, most people considered it a legal marriage if it was done before god(as in having a priest or someone doing it).
I hate it when people put this 'specialness' stamp on marridge. For the government, being married is a case of paperwork and fiscal differences perhaps. For the Church, it is some holy tie between people (that breaks alot). For people, it is just a way of 'commiting' to love.
I don't know or I want to get married. I don't have to sign a paper and say some 'magic' words in neighter a Church nor an governmental building to feel extra for a woman.
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Yay for gay marridge, it is their personal choice. Marridge is just a word. The 'Church' and Christians also shouldn't make it their monopoly.
Mariage is an agreement. The fact that the government has to recognize it, is pathetic. Remove the government from the picture, what happens to Mariage? Is it impossible?
Mariage is an agreement, a bond, a covenant between 2 people. Holy or not, Religion or not. Doesnt matter.
Of course marriage is possible without the government recognizing it, however as Burns states, if you want the legal protections that the government has decreed, you must play by their rules and have it made 'official'.
I have a friend who is now in his 60's. He lived with his girlfriend for about 10 years until she died of cancer. Emotionally and spiritually, they were as much married as any couple. After her death, her belongings were split up among her blood relatives, he got nothing. Not the house they shared, that he helped pay for, not the car, nor anything.
I understand that insurance companies and the government want to protect themselves from everyone claiming 'marriage' just to get some benefits.
Marriage is a word.
If you want a "legal" marriage, you have to get the government involved.
Any other meaning of the word is subjective and can be just as valid in all aspects other than legal recognition/stipulations. It can be an agreement between you and your spouse before God, Buddha, the melting snowman in the front yard, whatever.
marriage has existed long before the belief of God came about. marriage does not belong to the hebrews, jews or christians anymore than it belongs to the greeks, romans, pagans or buddhists. It is something that is found in virtually every culture, and belongs to the whole of humanity.Quote:
Originally Posted by Keeper
legal marriage exists to recognize when two *or more* people desire to share in eachothers lives. the legal marriage for instance can protect a house wife incase her husband were to die. since the legal marriage recognizes they share in eachothers lives, she can keep the house and property and such, instead of being tossed out on the street like a tramp.
with that said, legal marriage should be a freedom for ANY two people *or more* who want to share in eachothers lives for as long as possible. It doesnt matter if they are straight, gay, bi or even a platonic duo *romantic friendship* as who they have sex with or who they dont is no ones business and all that matters is they are sharing in eachothers life and directly influence eachothers incomes and property - and it is the governments responsibility to recognize that they are in fact sharing property and income.
cultural and religious views of marriage need to step down and recognize they should not influence a legal marriage. neither should religious christian fanatics start screaming "GOD DOES NOT RECOGNIZE YOUR MARRIAGE" as it is neither a christians place to JUDGE or know what God has given, blessed or planned for another. And since I can sense I have already angered many christians who would read this, need I remind christianity about the church wedding Christ - as that is hardly a marriage that resembles anything on earth.
ps. the new legal marriage I am suggesting is even more radical than gay marriage :bigteeth: go me! IM CRAZY
My country already has this. It's called a Civil Union. Except, you can only be civil unioned or married to one person. But it's a legal, totally non-religious union, and you can civil union someone of either sex.