Should America have traditional marriage? Or modern, equal, loving civilized marriage?
Marriage is a tradition, yet "traditional" marriage is a myth. The marriage tradition started as women being property and a commodity traded among men.
*The bible shows many instances of women as property.
*Raping one's wife wasn't outlawed in England until *1891*. The Times bemoaned, "One fine morning last month, marriage in England was suddenly abolished."
*Under the Nepoleonic code of France and Louisianna, women were considered the same legal status as children and mental defectives.
*Under English common law, women did not leagally exist and was forbidden to any personal property. Even her clothes were her husbands.
So when people urge 'traditional' marriage, why don't they include *all* the traditions of western marriage like the right to rape, beat, imprison, enslave wives, refuse property ownership, refuse legal existence, consider women as incompetetants and baby factories?
2007-08-09 06:58:34 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Quotes on "traditional" marriage:
"By marriage, the husband and wife are one person in law, that is, the very being or legal existence of the woman is suspended during the marriage, or at least incorporated and consolidated into that of her husband, under whose wing, protection and cover, she performs everything." ~ William Blackstone, " Commentaries on the Laws of England", 1765
"In the nineteenth century, when a judge ruled that a husband could not imprison and rape his wife the London Times bemoaned, `One fine morning last month, marriage in England was suddenly abolished.' The phrase rule of thumb descends from English common law that said a man could legally beat his wife with a switch `no thicker than his thumb.'" ~ Naomi Wolf, "Radical Heterosexuality"
2007-08-09 06:59:09 · update #1
"The 1804 Code Napoleon, influential throughout Europe [and Louisiana; remember Streetcar?] recapitulated the old terms of the marriage contract, proclaiming a husband head of his household and dictating the arrangement as one of male protection in return for female obedience. Under this code women were classified with children and mental defectives as legal incompetents." ~ Jaclyn Geller, "The Marriage Mystique"
2007-08-09 06:59:27 · update #2
Rachel. Yes. As long as it's non-traditional.
And we honeymoon in Europe.
2007-08-09 07:04:54 · update #3
Sure. We have to do Paris and Italy, too, though. And if we skimp on the wedding, Spain?
2007-08-09 07:15:21 · update #4
This is why I believe in a Temple sealing for time and eternity.
2007-08-09 08:18:00 · answer #1 · answered by Isolde 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Arguments through silence are the worst form of evidence. The evidence of Scripture shows that it was an ungodly man who came up with the idea of having more than one wife. Your whole premise is flawed. You conclude, erroneously, that God has been trying to play "social engineer" from the beginning. If polygamy was to be the norm, then we could expect that God would have created Adam and Eve, and Mary, and Susan, and Betty, and Barbara, etc. etc. Because men were taking on more than just one wife, the law saw to it that a man would properly care for each wife. Same thing with slavery. Because it existed, the law saw to it that slaves were treated properly. Just because these things existed does not mean God condoned them. .
2016-05-17 23:42:44 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That why "traditional", for me, goes back to pre-Christian Celtic traditions. Women could rule, own property, go into combat, do whatever they wanted - and, if they got tired of the marraige, boot the guy out on his butt.
Not sure how many guys would be willing to accept that, mind you, but might do some of them some good.
2007-08-09 07:08:36 · answer #3 · answered by ArcadianStormcrow 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I suspect my marriage resembles a traditional marriage more than that of traditional marriage proponents today....
Pretty much everything I own is technically my wife's.
2007-08-09 07:13:48 · answer #4 · answered by LabGrrl 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I stand in awe of this question. Good points on traditional marriage. What we have in our society isn't "traditional," and hardly resembles what "marriage" was in biblical times.
RJR, will you marry me?
2007-08-09 07:03:37 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I got chills reading this. And not in a good way.
I will gladly take the contract negotiation that we call "marriage" now.
2007-08-09 07:06:05 · answer #6 · answered by Sookie 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You do make excellent points. If we want to label a modern marriage as "traditional"...what's wrong with keeping women "barefoot and pregnant"?
2007-08-09 07:06:50 · answer #7 · answered by Adam G 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Snooooor! Oh..you are done typing? What?
2007-08-09 07:02:51 · answer #8 · answered by I.J. Riley 3 · 0⤊ 3⤋