Marriage: An Institution Doomed to Failure?

From the ever-increasing divorce rates, to gay advocates screaming for the right to get married, it seems that the stereotypical, conservative view of marriage that it is sacred, sanctified by God and blessed in love and holy matrimony, has been under siege by a wave of post-modernist views.

Just how "sacred" is the institute of marriage, especially in the eyes of law?

Marriage as a Civil Union

In most secular nations, marriage between a couple is essentially a tripartite affair: In order for a marriage to be considered legal and binding, there are three parties involved: The person concerned, his or her spouse, and the State.

Civil unions are basically contracts which, varying from nation to nation, gives certain entitlements and benefits to the specific individuals involved.

In most countries, Married couples are allowed joint ownership of property, such as homes, companies and so on. Married couples are also legally assigned as parents to their children, and in some countries such as Singapore, parents are also legally bound to send their children through basic educational levels.

Countries with secular governments but retain a religious identity, such as Malaysia, may also have separate marriage laws for their government-recognized religion. Muslim males of Malaysian nationality, for example, may renounce their marriage by saying "I divorce you" three times.

Because marriage is a tripartite affair, any form of separation, including divorce, will be arbitrated by the court of law. Anything from custody of the children, to dividing the estranged couple's property, will involve a whole set of legal procedures, which differ from country to country.

In short, there is nothing sacred or romantic about marriages. The civil union itself is but a contract meant to legally unite two different entities together, and is in reality no more than a business contract.

Why Marriage?

If marriages are so devoid of romance and sanctity, why then, do people hanker after it, so much so that, even the homosexual counterparts are clamoring to get into the marriage bandwagon?

Part of the reason may be the social stigma involved. Individuals who are bachelors or spinsters tend to be regarded as odd balls in society, and the unseen social pressure may be a catalyst for many to jump too hastily into marriage, only to realize that married life is not all plain-sailing as they deem it to be.

Women from poorer countries may also harbor dreams of marrying a rich sugar daddy, and the fact that throngs of women from rural areas of Southeast Asia, such as Vietnam and Cambodia, are lining up in matchmaking agencies, waiting to be shipped off to some eagerly-waiting candidates, is testament to this form of industry. Marriage, it seems, can be a great ticket out of poverty.

Marriage as an Institution

While not many will want to stay single throughout their lives, it is clear that the idea of a secular marriage has obvious difficulties, and one can be forgiven for admitting the fear one has for a civil union.

That fear, however, should not stop a determined wannabe from getting laid, and if anything else, the institution we call marriage should be around for a long while yet.