You cannot turn on the television or radio these days without having the argument, 'marriage is an old institutionalized sacred union between a man and a woman,' rammed down your throat.
It is widely accepted that as each generation of men and women enters adulthood, values and ideologies change and evolve. Many beliefs for moral reasons, are abandoned. i.e... slavery. Marriage is a very old ritual one should examine to see if it should be abandoned or modified.
Marriage, exactly how old are you?
"The best available evidence suggests that it’s about 4,350 years old. For thousands of years before that, most anthropologists believe, families consisted of loosely organized groups of as many as 30 people, with several male leaders, multiple women shared by them, and children. As hunter-gatherers settled down into agrarian civilizations, society had a need for more stable arrangements. The first recorded evidence of marriage ceremonies uniting one woman and one man dates from about 2350 B.C., in Mesopotamia. Over the next several hundred years, marriage evolved into a widespread institution embraced by the ancient Hebrews, Greeks, and Romans. But back then, marriage had little to do with love or with religion." (1.)
Marriage, What was the purpose of creating you?
Marriage served a number of biological and social functions:
▪ Women needed to have a place in society and marriage allowed men to obtain women as their own personal property (honor and obey.)
▪ Marriage ensured that a man’s children were his true biological heirs. A man could even return a woman if she did not produce for him.
▪ Ancient cultures, such as ancient Greeks and Romans, (2.) men were allowed, and still are in a few present cultures, to have several wives for the purpose of producing many offspring.
▪ Ancient cultures, such as ancient Greeks and Romans, (3.) wives were forced to stay at home taking care of the children and home while the husbands engaged in sexual activities with prostitutes.
Marriage, what role did organized religion play?
Christian doctrine relegated the role of the woman as that of a servant to her husband. Women were forbidden to divorce and men were considered the head and boss of the family. Raping your wife was frowned upon but legal.
Fortunately, modern marriage has evolved to be a much more civilized institution in most cultures. The cultures where religion plays a major role in government, the plight of the married woman is very disturbing.
In recent months, the institution of marriage is being challenged by those seeking same sex marriages. The opponents of gay marriage say the roots of heterosexual marriage are a sacred ritual between a man and a women.
After examining the origins and history of heterosexual marriage, it can be argued that because women in the free societies are no longer considered property, the institution of marriage should be abolished and replaced with a civil union for all.
So let us all shout: Marriage, you are the weakest evolutionary link, Goodbye!
References:
(1.) (2.) (3.) The origins of marriage http://www.theweekmagazine.com/briefing.asp?aid567
4/2/2004
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Copyright 2003, 2004 © TrysDan Roberts www.trysdansbooks.com
About the Author
About the author:
TrysDan Roberts is a published author of articles and the novel, The Sinking Of Noah’s Ark. For more info about TrysDan go to : www.trysdansbooks.com Email TrysDan at: Trysdan@yahoo.com