A recent poll on a website saw 1497 people voting on whether marriages should expire after 7 years... (Perhaps a few smacks on the head would cure The 7year Itch for the person suggesting the poll?)
The options were as follows:
10,69% of people voted that marriages should expire after 7 years.
16,96% of the voters agreed that contracts should be re-evaluated every few years.
13,56% thought that marriage is an unnecessary institution.
I was pleasantly surprised to see that 58,78% believed in "'Til death do us part".
There's a lot of controversy regarding this issue and many people are finding it hard to find the right person to share the rest of their lives with, therefore opting rather for a committed relationship with less legalities involved.
Some opt for marriage with ante-nuptial contracts, which is beneficial to both parties in the event of divorce or to protect parties against pre-existing legal issues. Would you marry someone who insists on an anti-nuptial contract? Does that mean they don't love you enough to share?
So who's right? It depends which aspect you are looking at it from. Rules for marriages differ for different religions, so we cannot comment on all of those - I'm merely commenting on what I know and that does not serve as judgment on any people with different opinions or religions. That is something they will answer to when the time is right. It affects me in no way.
From the moral aspect - it all depends again on what you see as moral. The lines are pretty blurred! I believe that by marrying someone you give your all to that person - your heart and your body - and to that person alone.
Then the question of divorce. The Bible is quite clear on divorce for Christians - it's a no-no! Yet, for some people divorce is the only option: abuse, affairs and the like.
It all boils down to societal rot. In the days of the Bible things were not like they are now. There were none of the temptations that are there today and moral rot was dealt with appropriately.
Marriage, which used to be a happy event of celebration of the love between two people is now meaningless and there's a 50% chance that those two people standing in front of a marriage official will be standing in front of the divorce court in 3 years time.
A friend asked me a question recently which I could not answer. "As a Christian, what defines marriage?" - I don't know the Bible well, but she said that she's never read that a marriage official has to declare you married, only that the Bible says "..a man found a woman and made her his wife". Anyone have an answer to that question?
Another (non-Christian) friend brought up another interesting aspect: Who is more "married"
- a couple married in front of a priest, friends and family, yet they have no respect for each other and mess around? OR
- a couple in a committed relationship where they don't mess around and are committed to one another?
Regarding the 7 year itch - I think that's either a feeble excuse to mess around or laziness on the part of both partners to work on their relationship. Relationships take work. After 7 years of marriage Wade and I are closer than ever under very different circumstances from most normal couples. If we can make it work - everyone can!
I'd like your input into this as I want to use it as material for my upcoming book!
Watch this space!
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