My kids are bastards, officially and unofficially.

Jane Fonda (I think it was) said “My husband said he wanted to sleep with a red head, so I dyed my hair red”. Says it all really, who knew she was so deep.

I give men a lot of credit, they love that three year old, they hang around. Sometimes emotions beat hormones?

Marriage… we humans like are ceremonies to bind us to something. It has its place if you don’t stop and overthink it.

I’m of the “religious underachievers” myself. I didn’t want a wedding, I didn’t want to wear a pavlova. We went to the courthouse, recited some unexpected vows and went home. Lovely. Still is.

Houel, you are awesome.[smile]

As I understand it marriage was so that children were born in a relationship with certain inheritance rights, etc.
There are people who do get married even so due to circumstances no sexual intercourse can occur.
Basically see a marriage as a civil contract with the other partner until death do us part, but do not try to be the one causing the death of the other!
When I married my first wife, the pledge, at the registry office, had a considerable impact upon me. Nothing to do with religion. I oppose divorce but circumstances prevailed that I divorced my first wife. So I did with my second wife.
My third wife at 67 wasn’t particularly a woman who was considering returning to child bearing capacity. So, we didn’t get married for any reason of having children but just it basically means to say to other blokes “Keep your hands off”. After about 10 years my wife is telling me my youth is fainting away, I am too polite to tell her she is turning into the wicked witch. No child support to keep me in the marriage either but still I am neither departing from earth or from the marriage. Just think where could I get for free a cleaner, cook, iron lady, coffee maker, nagger, ok forget the last bit.
I explain to her that she should be glad that I keep her fit doing all the house chores as I could be selfish to do it myself and let her then grow old, ugly and being unfit.
The secret to a marriage is to do your own thing but pretend to the other how much you care. Reap the benefits and enjoy it while pretending it is all a burden.
Without a marriage certificate the horror of litigation would not be there as to deter her to find another joker to do it to her.
Then again my wife has her free chauffeur, carpenter, secretary, plumber, electrician, gardener, slave, roofer, and on and on it goes. Marriage is a civil contract to barting each others services.

It would appear that the church which used to desired as a traditional wedding venue even for non christians is even losing this draw card:

http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/lifematters/brides-in-rush-to-registry-20091017-h22y.html

When society fails even to pay lip service, the church will completely lose its relevance in today's society.

The next move is to cut off its tax exemption status.

Shadow Minister,
When was the last time you examined Church business and income? Most churches run at a loss and their expenses rely on the good will of people working for charity. Churches are no different to social Clubs except they have no membership fees or income from gamboling. All members pay taxes on their own income and sacrifice to support their social community. They are a charitable organisation run by families members to support each other and do not make a profit from services or sales. Your ignorance of Church function and members association and role in society reveals both your ignorance and hostile attitude to the Church.

Leaving church love or tradition out.

I actually was under the belief that the man stayed around until the child was about 7 hence the seven year itch.

However way back then you only lived until 21-25 if you were lucky and one woman could not look after more than one very young child at the same time if nomadic. So survival of species changes over time. Now survival is easier in a union.

Not sure of average life span when marriage was introduced but still would have been young. Living until 80-90 is a very new human concept so perhaps 2 marriages, or unions, may become the norm..if not already.

Partner 1 for breeding
Partner 2 for economics and companionship.

Hansard 2-3-1898 Constitution Convention Debates

QUOTE
Mr. REID.-I suppose that money could not be paid to any church under this Constitution?
Mr. BARTON.-No; you have only two powers of spending money, and a church could not receive the funds of the Commonwealth under either of them.
[start page 1773]
END QUOTE
.
As CONSTITUTIONALIST I take the view that any kind of religious taxation exemption is unconstitutional.
Why indeed should anyone who as like a church may provide the same kind of service (without religion involved) be denied tax exemptions?
.
Either all have the same exemption or none at all.