This always struck me a silly. When did the farm animal say "I do"? When do they consent to such activities?
No one every lists goats either, is that because they already say "nay"?
This always struck me a silly. When did the farm animal say "I do"? When do they consent to such activities?
No one every lists goats either, is that because they already say "nay"?
"that sheep is a well-known liar!"
and I Heard ...pigs will squeal on ya...jusayin
The truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable.
This link will open your eyes, but first it will give you eyestrain:
http://www2.hu-berlin.de/sexology/ATLAS_EN/html/history_of_marriage_in_western.html
All Wikipedia content needs to be cross checked, and I did a little on this big 'ole entry. Looks to be pretty legit, though you may want to do your own checking.
Here's a little of the content:
Marriage, as we know it in our Western civilization today, has a long history with roots in several very different ancient cultures, of which the Roman, Hebrew, and Germanic are the most important. Western marriage has further been shaped by the doctrines and policies of the medieval Christian church, the demands of the Protestant Reformation, and the social impact of the Industrial Revolution.
When we look at the marriage customs of our ancestors, we discover several striking facts. For example, for the most of Western history, marriage was not a mere personal matter concerning only husband and wife, but rather the business of their two families which brought them together. Most marriages, therefore, were arranged. Moreover, the wife usually had much fewer rights than her husband and was expected to be subservient to him. To a considerable extent, marriage was also an economic arrangement. There was little room for romantic love, and even simple affection was not considered essential. Procreation and cooperation were the main marital duties.
On the other hand, it may surprise many modern couples to learn that in earlier times divorce was often easily granted. Here again, men usually had the advantage when they could simply dismiss their wives, but in many instances women could also sue for divorce. In ancient Rome couples could even divorce each other by mutual agreement, a possibility that has not yet returned to all European countries. Another notable historical fact is the nearly universal stress on the necessity of marriage and the resulting pressure on single persons to get married. This pressure was partially lifted only under the influence of Christianity which, at least for some time, found a special virtue in celibacy. Christian doctrines have, of course, also had their effects on marriage itself, and some of these will be discussed below.
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My take is that marriage started as a financial/political device, took hold, and is still in place because of tradition. Our laws are extensions of our traditions. "And why do we have these traditions? I'll tell you. I don't know." <ref- Fiddler on the Roof>
We shouldn't hold our breath waiting for our legal system to legalize polygamy/polyandry, but it may happen at some time in the future. A post apocalyptic society would likely be the trigger for redefining marriage.
This link will open your eyes, but first it will give you eyestrain:
http://www2.hu-berlin.de/sexology/ATLAS_EN/html/history_of_marriage_in_western.html
All Wikipedia content needs to be cross checked, and I did a little on this big 'ole entry. Looks to be pretty legit, though you may want to do your own checking.
Here's a little of the content:
Marriage, as we know it in our Western civilization today, has a long history with roots in several very different ancient cultures, of which the Roman, Hebrew, and Germanic are the most important. Western marriage has further been shaped by the doctrines and policies of the medieval Christian church, the demands of the Protestant Reformation, and the social impact of the Industrial Revolution.
When we look at the marriage customs of our ancestors, we discover several striking facts. For example, for the most of Western history, marriage was not a mere personal matter concerning only husband and wife, but rather the business of their two families which brought them together. Most marriages, therefore, were arranged. Moreover, the wife usually had much fewer rights than her husband and was expected to be subservient to him. To a considerable extent, marriage was also an economic arrangement. There was little room for romantic love, and even simple affection was not considered essential. Procreation and cooperation were the main marital duties.
On the other hand, it may surprise many modern couples to learn that in earlier times divorce was often easily granted. Here again, men usually had the advantage when they could simply dismiss their wives, but in many instances women could also sue for divorce. In ancient Rome couples could even divorce each other by mutual agreement, a possibility that has not yet returned to all European countries. Another notable historical fact is the nearly universal stress on the necessity of marriage and the resulting pressure on single persons to get married. This pressure was partially lifted only under the influence of Christianity which, at least for some time, found a special virtue in celibacy. Christian doctrines have, of course, also had their effects on marriage itself, and some of these will be discussed below.
-----------------------------------------------------------
My take is that marriage started as a financial/political device, took hold, and is still in place because of tradition. Our laws are extensions of our traditions. "And why do we have these traditions? I'll tell you. I don't know." <ref- Fiddler on the Roof>
We shouldn't hold our breath waiting for our legal system to legalize polygamy/polyandry, but it may happen at some time in the future. A post apocalyptic society would likely be the trigger for redefining marriage.
like Arkansas?
I was a blackjack dealer and one after noon had a pretty rowdy crowd at the table. As I'm dealing, the man in first seat gets a pair of blackjack and I say, "BLACKJACK", 2nd seat has ace / 8 and I say, "dead man", 3rd seat gets a pair of kings and I shout, "Brokeback Mountain" and the lady in last seat laughs hysterically while the rest just look at me quizzically. The pit boss calls me aside and is not laughing, guess it hit a little close to home.
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