Well, I've "married" some couples-there's a phrase I use to point out what "marriage is":
I don't marry you, the "church" dosen't marry you, the government doesn't marry you, and God doesn't marry you.You marry each other.
Marriage is a
covenant - a formal, solemn and binding agreement.
That said, in our society-indeed, in most societies today, there are
two marriages-the one that constitutes that covenant-whether it be before a priest, minister, high priestess, medicine man, shaman, rabbi, imam, ship's captain(though this is a special case, as all the other's
might be), Buddhist monk, Taoist priest, Shinto priest, President of a biker club, minister, minister in
the Church of Universal Life, heirophant, mednicant, officiant, facilitator,
best friend, or simply the couple (or more!) exchanging vows on a mountain top under a star-filled night sky.
People exchange promises to each other, and try to keep them while they live together.
That's a marriage.
The other form of marriage is the one that sometimes requires blood-tests, and usually requires fees, a license, and a certification from the state-though, in some states, any officiant (see above) can obtain (for a fee) the ability to certify marriages-just as I have in New Mexico- so there may in fact be only one ceremony-just as there may be if they choose to be wed before a Justice of the Peace, ship's captain (special!), or other person of
legal authority. This marriage has little to do with the covenant, and everything to do with property rights, custody, legal name changes, legitimacy of heirs, credit, insurance, etc., etc., etc. Is such an institution necessary? I dunno. It's been that way for more than a hundred years now ; once, you got "married by the church," or by "common law" (see:couple on mountaintop exchanging vows, etc..) and that was it. Now, the state is involved, and taxes and records are involved, and that may be a good thing-as in the lady in the Bentley with the vanity plates that say "WASHIS"-or a bad thing, as in the man who owned that Bentley with the vanity plates....:lol:
Or "good thing" as in simply being to sit with your loved one in the hospital, making decisions about their care and holding their hand while they die, and remaining legally able to stay in your home, raise your kids,and collect insurance and pensions.
At the end of the day, though-marriage boils down to that one thing: people exchange promises, and try to keep them while they make a life together. Indeed, those promises are the very basis of their life together. That's pretty much it, IMNSHO......
Pronunciation: \ˈmer-ij, ˈma-rij\ Function: noun Etymology: Middle English mariage, from Anglo-French, from marier to marry Date: 14th century 1 a (1): the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law (2): the state of being united to a person of the same sex in a relationship like that of a traditional marriage <same-sex marriage> b: the mutual relation of married persons : wedlock c: the institution whereby individuals are joined in a marriage2: an act of marrying or the rite by which the married status is effected ; especially : the wedding ceremony and attendant festivities or formalities3: an intimate or close union <the marriage of painting and poetry — J. T. Shawcross>
