Ts the act o
Marriage outdated?

By Morgan Hannah, Life & Style Editor

   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  

have two friends who are absolutely perfect together. They’ve been together for

thirteen years and seem to like all the same things. These two travel together and they
rarely fight. Yet, the oddest part is that they’re not married. Ask anyone about these
two and the answer is always the same: they’re soulmates. Why aren’t they married
then? Is it as simple as he hasn’t gotten around to asking for her hand yet?

He certainly has been ribbed by our social circle to get on that for a while now. Or

is it something bigger? Perhaps they’re on the bandwagon with those who believe
that marriage is unnecessary? It’s just a piece of paper stating that two individuals are
legally bound to each other and that these individuals now have rights and obligations
to each other. Does the paper really change anything?

Something borrowed, something blue, something over 1000 years old

With the concept of marriage being only about 4000 years old, we know human beings
have gotten along fine without the help of this institution before. Is there really a
reason for it now, or ever? Some might argue that marriage is antiquated—especially
those who aren’t keen on forking over the $8,937 that the average Canadian wedding
costs according to a 2017 poll for Global News.
Besides, the concept of love is far older than marriage and older than
the dawn of time... as cliché as that may sound. But love is cliché,
and that’s what makes it so wonderful. People who are happy
together and secure in their love for one another don’t need
to spend thousands of dollars to be bound together legally.
It wasn’t love or religion that gave birth to the
concept of marriage, but the need to ensure the rights
of the parent’s properties to the children.
Nowadays, we live in a fragile, single-use world
where everything that has flaws is tossed aside
for the upgraded version—including people.
According to CBC, 4 in 10 of all first marriages in
Canada end in divorce, which can be financially
and emotionally costly. The rising rate of divorce,
especially in new marriages, is evidence enough
to suggest that people have little respect for the
oath of marriage and are likely just looking for a
something (or someone) to fill a short-term need.

 

 

An arrangement of flowers—
and marriage

What about arranged marriages? Arranged
marriages have been part of the Indian culture
since the 4th century and serves many functions
beyond the quest for love. Love may very well be
a side effect that comes with the duration of the
arranged marriage, but it is not guaranteed.
Since love is not the goal, arranged marriages
tend to be more successful and have far lower