Is Marriage Forever?

Marriage is quickly declining as an institution once cherished by the individuals who took part in it. As more and more couples are getting divorced, society has seemingly lost track of who gets the most hurt in the process. Phillip Hodson, an accomplished author and a Fellow of the British Association for Counseling, has written an in depth article explaining his stance on the issue. He quickly reveals a statistic that claims that "75 percent of all family breakdowns where there are young children now involve unmarried parents (419)." As an unmarried man but involved in a family relationship, he understands who is hurt when families split: the children

With an obvious bias on the issue, Hodson believes that the institution of marriage is basically a fraud. He feels that the compromises made are not set in stone and no one can legitimately assure that they are who the other person thinks they are at all times (419). He agrees that the purpose of marriage is to procreate (for it is nature) but this can be done without the sacred oath of marriage. After all, living mutually with a partner is the same as marriage without all the legal ramifications and hardships if the couple decides to split up (420).

For the real issue though: what about the children? To state it most unsubtly he says "I would prefer to live in a society where anyone who caused a birth was deemed to be legally, morally and fiscally 'married' to that child for 20 years at least (420)." A parent should do whatever it takes to take care of their child. They should protect them but at the same time let them have their own experiences and put them above all else in their life (420).

Hodson reveals his position on marriage and feels that "mating, not marriage" is the most important (421). His argument includes a various number of statistics and personal experiences. He gives us a very fine look at the life he chose to live and why he continues to live it. For him, it is all about the kids.

WORKS CITED

Hodson, Phillip. "Baby, This Is For Ever." Miller, Robert K. The Informed Argument. 7^th ed. Boston: Thomas Wadsworth, 2007.