what is does marriage mean to you?

[lotsafun]

to cut a long story short i want to get married, my partner of 5 years doesnt, he thinks marriage is only a piece of paper. I on the other hand think its more than that. Were not arguing about it, just having a debate and just wondered what all of your thoughts are on it? i think that morally its the right thing to do, especially when you have children, that its the best way to show your love and are totally committed to eachother, i think it sets a stronger family unit and sets a good example to your children. god i can go on and on......
Im not naive and stupid to not know that its hard work and its all happy ever after (im a divorcee) but i still believe in it despite that. What are your thoughts? this should be interesting???????

[gordyagusta]

commitment by law........ not for me sorry....

[WELSHYORKIE]

Light blue touch paper and stand well back!!!!!!

[gina32]

do you already have children?

[mccfluff]

to me it means ab nothing, a piece of paper thats all. i understand from previous debates that their are legal advantages to being married

[coccinelle]

Something I don't understand here. If marriage is to show your love and are totally committed to each other and sets a good example to your children how is it you're divorced? Just a question...

[redcrx]

i think having children is more of a commitment to a partnership than a peice of paper is.

though, saying that, i would still love to be married to my other half.

[lotsafun]

yes we have 2

[WELSHYORKIE]

When we married in 1975 it meant a lot more than it does today, and the vows included love, honour and obey which has now departed the ceremony, I am led to believe, and it was till death us do part not til divorce us do part. Mine was the former bu there are plenty on here, apparently, for whom the latter applies

[lotsafun]

i knew someone would ask that lol. After the birth of our son my ex became violent and abusive, he cheated and lied and tried to kidnap our son and take him to tenerife to live, obviously for the saftey of myself and my son i could no longer stay with him.

[tastymorsel]

I would NEVER get married again.If you are in a warm and loving relationship why feel the need to 'prove' it ? Getting married complicates things and if you ever break up(and married or not this can happen)it is a lot easier to ds-entangle yourself if there is nothing legally binding you to each other.That's just my opinion though and I know many will not agree with me but having been divorced twice I know which option I would choose.

[gina32]

marriage is morally the right thing to do? so if you place morals so high why did you have children before being married? i for one do not think that marriage makes any difference to a relationship

[dotty.]

To me it means lost of photos, dead relatives and curly perms:

http://www.facebook.c...612179&type=1&theater
(if it works)

[lotsafun]

i found divorcing him extremely hard to do, took 6 years for me to finally get the courage, i really felt that i had failed, i was embarrased, and people judge ...you know ;-(

[dotty.]

does that link actually open?

[lotsafun]

i was married to my sons father, with my current partner, our daughter was a
'accident' (i hate to say that as she means the world to me) but she was and there was no way i was terminating because of that reason

[craft1948]

I'm not a great advert for marriage but think it works well for a lot of people..........most people who get married stay married, I've no idea what the stats are for co-habiting couples. My sister has been married for 44 years and my brother for 29 years, my daughter has no intention of ever marrying.

[gordyagusta]

I'm agree with Tastymorsel. I was with my ex for 17years, never got married, when things ended it materialised that not getting married was the best thing i've never done, no legal issues, no lawyers, she went her way i went mine....

[tastymorsel]

It took me eight years to pluck up the courage to divorce my alcoholic abusive first husband for the same reasons as lotsafun.You do feel like a faie and pretty stupid for getting involved in the first place.

[tastymorsel]

*failure*

[dotty.]

the odd thing to me is that all his brothers and their wives on there have all divorced bar one (and they were seperated for several years) and his sister too was divorced, but my side, including all cousins, all stayed married, even his mum and dad and aunts and uncles had all more than one marriage. None of mine did except my aunt who's first husband was killed in the battle of britain