Quote:
Originally Posted by Open Eyes
Marriage and commitment really became desired due to how offspring were able to survive and thrive better if they grew up with parents. We often forget that children often failed to make it to adulthood. That is often why so many ended up having several children as not all their children survived into adulthood. We forget that it was not all that long ago that parents often faced the loss of one or more of their children due to all the diseases and illnesses we now have found vacinations for as well as antibiotics and other medicines that can contribute to a child reaching adulthood. Now what was once common is considered a major tradgedy when someone experiences the loss of a young child.
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Marriage is different from commitment though, right? You can have both but you don't have to have marriage in order to commit and raise healthy children. In the Netherlands for example, it is more common for couples to cohabitate and raise their children that way....they don't see the point of the document or party. For a long time there were all sorts of notions about why priests cannot marry. Historically it's because the Catholic Church did not want their land entailed away to children of priests if the children did not choose the priesthood. Historically, marriage evolved in order to for people to acquire in-laws....that was a very important source of power back in the day....combining two powerful families.
I'm all for marriage if individuals choose it and want it for themselves. What I disagree with are the myths in society as to why it developed and why it continues to be pushed on young folks ($53 billion industry in the U.S.).
With regard to raising children, marriage remains the "norm" or desirable in many societies but rates of parental child abuse and neglect are still very high.
Are you saying that institutionalized marriage contributed to the development of childhood vaccines @
openeyes?