Question for debate:

Should our laws treat marriage and cohabitation as if they were identical?

Is the old conjugal view of marriage as a lifelong union of husband and wife obsolete, an impediment to our dealing with the new realities of cohabitation, late marriage, divorce, and non-marital childbearing?

Or is that old view essential to the sound rearing of the next generation?

Is a marriage culture something to be revived and strengthened in our laws, or should its remnants be jettisoned in favor of laws better adapted to a culture of "close relationships" and "family diversity"?

Should our laws treat marriage and cohabitation as if they were identical?

I don’t know how you could, unless simply living with someone allowed say a government body to proclaim the two married, which i would think rather odd but hey I do think it happens.

Is the old conjugal view of marriage as a lifelong union of husband and wife obsolete, an impediment to our dealing with the new realities of cohabitation, late marriage, divorce, and non-marital childbearing?

I think really it comes down to an individual issue cohabitating with the idea of freedom and liberty personally. Not as a negative personal attack so please don’t take it that way. The other idea I think one would propose then would to make it illegal I guess to have a divorce or not fit a mold some people but not all accept, I think that would be far worse.

Or is that old view essential to the sound rearing of the next generation?

I don’t think so. You go across the board with people, and really no current formula for success has some guaranteed value to it as I understand such. Basically the people besides myself that make up my family or live in our home are happy, and all of the children do above average to better in school, and I would just like to add I don’t in any fashion behave as I guess is being portrayed here, we make fun of religion in general at the dinner table amongst other things.

Is a marriage culture something to be revived and strengthened in our laws, or should its remnants be jettisoned in favor of laws better adapted to a culture of "close relationships" and "family diversity"?

Again I think its just an individual issue in regards to freedom and liberty. I don’t favor ill social programs being enforced by the government regardless of political affiliation, and basically that’s all it would be.

Should our laws treat marriage and cohabitation as if they were identical?

Yep. I can even see laws designed for groups that join together in coops, as was becoming popular during the economic downturns during the 1970s and 1980s. The laws allowed members of the coop to invest in the property and for members to either buy or sell their interests. Maybe people can still do this via contract. Don't see why not.

Is the old conjugal view of marriage as a lifelong union of husband and wife obsolete, an impediment to our dealing with the new realities of cohabitation, late marriage, divorce, and non-marital childbearing?

Yep. The old suburban American Dream is rapidly moving away. It's coming back again, the creative ways of dealing with economic realities. People will need to work together for mutual support in larger communities than Mom, Dad and 2.3 kids in the split-level, minivan and sedan.

Or is that old view essential to the sound rearing of the next generation?

Nope. There really isn't any good evidence that the nuclear family is superior to other arrangements for cranking out the next generation. There is something to be said about family group security though. For example, it's not very good for raising kids to have to run all over the country trying to find employment. I remember when the joke went IBM means I've Been Moved. But then you have the military brat thing going on, and I've worked with plenty of adults who went all over creation in a military family as kids. I kinda like the adults who grew up that way. They're generally interesting people.

Is a marriage culture something to be revived and strengthened in our laws, or should its remnants be jettisoned in favor of laws better adapted to a culture of "close relationships" and "family diversity"?

I can see that working, the assessment of reality versus idealism and designing laws that fit the needs of society rather than designing laws to engineer society.

The old liberalism tried to engineer society through law. Didn't work out so well, as it seems that people will do what they will anyway. Now its the new conservatism trying the same thing, just with different ideals in mind. Either way, it doesn't work.