I've been reading an introductory Christian ethics book and just finished the section on cohabitation before marriage.
Nothing was to earth-shattering, but the author made a few good points. Two particularly stood out.
First, for a believer, marriage is liberating. With the wedding ring comes freedom. You can experience things that you couldn't/didn't before. You gain something once you're in wedlock.
Alternatively, if you're living (and sleeping) together you "gain" very little. Sure, you'll get a sweet party and kick-ass holiday, but the landscape of your life will look fairly similar.
For some, they avoid the "baggage" or marriage since they want to evade constricting what they already posses with a costly legal ceremony.
The second point had to do with the mantra of living together - "try before you buy." But I'll post on that tomorrow...
You mention that 'With the wedding ring comes freedom' but surely, marriage isn't dependent on the ring, is it? Or, for that matter, on some ceremony?
ReplyDeleteMany/most Christians would affirm that one can be a Christian without being baptised or confirmed, right? But then to assert that marriage needs a ceremony, it just seems a little odd.