Sunday, April 5, 2009

Wherefore marriage - part 2

While I was walking my dog this morning, I realized that I never really made a clear definition of what I thought that marriage was in my last post. I suppose that this is because I just don't seem to have one.

The definition of marriage depends on those who are married. For my wife and I, it means a monogamous relationship where we hope to spend the rest of our lives together and eventually have a family. There are some people out there with "open" relationships, and while that sort of a thing doesn't really appeal to me (when I really think about it) who am I to tell them that it's wrong? So long as everything is out there and in the open, and nobody is being deceived, then more power to them.

So maybe the definition of marriage is that it's a trust between two people. From there, that's up to them.

9 comments:

Ingrid said...

I think that if people want an open relationship they don't need to get married. Or we might as well have poligamy again, because those people believe in it too and are okay with it. What's next????

Lance Christian Johnson said...

The thing is, there ARE people who have those kinds of marriages. While it's not for me, what exactly should we do about it? Make it illegal? Do you really want the government to enforce that sort of a thing?

While I don't like the idea of it, I like the idea of people telling others how they run their relationship even less.

Ingrid said...

I think that we should do away with government and laws and regulations and old customs and traditions and let people do whatever they want and see what happens. Are you saying that we should make polygamy legal? Or multiple partners in marriage legal? How many people do you know that live in "open marriages" and are truly happy with that arrangement? And what about the children???? Gosh Lance, sometimes I wonder.

Lance Christian Johnson said...

Look, there's a difference between saying "I'm okay with that" and saying "I'm not going to judge that". I don't know anybody in an open relationship - that doesn't mean that there aren't people who are who aren't perfectly happy. It's not for me, but who am I to tell somebody how to live their life? (I watched a show one time where they interviewed a couple who had one - they seemed perfectly happy and their children seemed normal. Who am I to tell them that they can't do that?)

As for polygamy, it is happening in this country and so long as you don't have the kind of situation where underage girls are involved, the government pretty much lets it go. Do I think that the government should recognize polygamous marriages? No. Do I think that they should jail everybody who's doing it? No. I mean, how else are you going to stop them?

Regarding "the children", I've known too many screwed up people who grew up with one mother and one father to believe that's a cure-all for what ails this world.

Andrew Nolan said...

Yeah, Lance.
WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN???

Ingrid said...

Nolan, you need a good spanking and be send off to bed without supper. Didn't anyone teach you to respect your elders?

Lance Christian Johnson said...

Mom, if you're going to say a cliche that has been lampooned time and time again (mainly by The Simpsons) then you shouldn't be surprised when people make fun of it.

Ingrid said...

Was I surprised??
I thought you guys were the ones with a sense of humor.

Andrew Nolan said...

Your mom offered to spank me. That's so hot.