What Is The Sanctity Of Marriage?
Marriage is a blessed and timeless connection between two individuals that love, comprehend, and respect each other. It is a robust and meaningful bond widely accepted by society and religions. It comes with plenty of benefits, but also challenges.
Let’s explore what it means to be married, its rewards and difficulties, as well as why we must keep the sacredness of marriage:
What is the Sanctity of Marriage?
Ever heard the phrase “marriage is a sacrament”? It’s often used to describe marriage’s sanctity – rooted in faith, society and tradition. Believed to be a holy union between two life-committed individuals. In this article, we’ll explore marriage sanctity and its importance today.
Religious Views
Religions around the world view marriage as a spiritual and social union with sacred connotations. It is often seen as a sacrament, complete with traditional ceremonies in the presence of God. Marriage is seen as special because it joins two people together and unites their souls before the community and God.
In Catholicism, marriage involves accepting the other’s life path and uniting with them before God’s eyes. Other religions have similar expectations or interpretations of marriage. For example, Islam regards it as a bond that offers each other spiritual guidance and comfort. Buddhists view marriage in terms of Dharma which includes enhancing virtue and mutual respect. Hindus have three pillars in their marital culture: love, piety and fertility. Jews exchange seven blessings during their wedding ceremony, signifying trust in God’s promise.
Each religion offers its own views on marriage but all hold it as sacred due to its offering of a chance for religious couples to express their faith together and share spiritual moments while on their journey through life together.
Legal Views
Marriage is a state-sanctioned agreement that creates rights and responsibilities between two people. It’s a legally recognized family unit, and is respected due to the commitment and respect that the partners have for one another. The legal characteristics of marriage in the US vary from state to state.
Most states require partners to be 18 or older before they can get married, but there are exceptions. Also, some states recognize common law marriages, meaning that couples living together for an extended period of time and considering themselves married without a license or ceremony, are still legally married.
The financial obligations associated with marriage include:
- Alimony
- Division of assets
- Child support
Prenuptial agreements are an option to protect each partner’s financial interests and can help to preserve the sanctity of the marriage.
Social Views
The concept and meaning of marriage has changed over time, but its sanctity has always been linked to its social history. It is a religious and spiritual bond, expressing love, fidelity and commitment. It’s part of personal and family identity, with many people marrying within their ‘tribe’, religion or culture.
In modern societies, marriage takes different forms. It can be influenced by religious beliefs, legislation and secular society’s acceptance. Progressive societies support individual rights and provide legal protection and civil rights for everyone, regardless of sexuality or gender identity.
There are still traditional values in some individuals and groups – beliefs about multiple marriages and entering into another civil union outside marriage. These values are seen around the world, from orthodox religions with dowries to cultures where polyandry is practiced. Many recognize loyalty and respect in any relationship type, acknowledging and validating emotions about the sanctity of all marital unions today.
Challenges to the Sanctity of Marriage
Marriage has been seen as the ultimate relationship for ages. It is believed to be an unbreakable bond between two people, beyond all other bonds. But recently, there have been many issues which have questioned this traditional view of marriage. Such as adultery, gender rights, and many other kinds of relationships.
Let us examine how these problems have affected the sanctity of marriage:
Divorce
Divorce has become increasingly common in many countries, shaking the sanctity of marriage. The legal ability to end a marriage wasn’t always guaranteed, which has caused traditional views of marriage to fade. Plus, new pressures have been put on couples by legalities, creating more stress and divisions.
Moreover, since divorce is more socially accepted, it carries less of a stigma than before. This has led to higher levels of infidelity, causing broken marriages. Therefore, divorce can be seen as damaging the concept of “marriage for life,” making it easier to find another partner.
Same-sex Marriage
Same-sex marriage is a challenge to marriage. In some places, it is now legal. This comes from a change in attitudes towards LGBT+ rights and relationships.
Religious people think same-sex marriage goes against doctrine and gender roles. They fear it could weaken traditional values about sexuality, morality, and family.
Others say all adults should be able to choose who to marry, whatever their orientation or identity. They argue that this is required for social justice. Society should not judge people’s relationships, based on scripture or old customs.
Everyone has their own opinion, but same-sex marriage has made us all discuss the sanctity of marriage.
Cohabitation
Cohabitation is a threat to marriage, and has become more common. Nearly half of couples share living expenses before marriage. It means two people living as husband and wife, but without a legal marriage ceremony. This is different from the traditional view of marriage as a life-long exclusive relationship.
Living together without marriage shows that divorce is easy. It weakens the traditional view of marriage as a lifelong commitment. Couples not married get physical benefits, but lack emotional involvement.
Cohabitation puts people off marriage. Unmarried couples are less likely to commit long-term than married couples. This suggests a decrease in moral values. Furthermore, cohabiting brings breakup rates similar to divorced couples. This can cause issues for children, such as instability and single parenting.
Conclusion
Marriage has changed drastically over time, leading to a major impact on society. Gone are the days of rigid rules and expectations; instead, there is now a focus on flexibility, with less emphasis on stability, commitment, faithfulness and monogamy.
Gender roles and expectations in relationships and parenting styles have become more complex too. Plus, single-parent homes due to divorce or death of a spouse may cause stress and an unbalanced upbringing. Alternative avenues such as cohabitation, meanwhile, may not bring the same societal benefits as marriage.
Despite all these changes, marriage remains a cornerstone for an orderly society. It’s essential to understand the impact of these marital changes for long-term success in many aspects of life today.
