Mawwige is what bwings us twogethah twoday
It's rather interesting to me that in the course of my Art History class, I've learned some key information about the "institution of marriage".
Did you know that the "institution" bit of things didn't actually start until the early 1600's?
Reality check (paraphrased) : The "institution" was really just the Catholic church responding to the Protestant Reformation. The former was trying to say to people who had joined in with the latter that the church and/or belief was still Very Present in their lives. Because they wanted to prove to people that "god is present in your life" All The Time, the Catholic church started having people hold their marriage vows in the churches.
That's right. Before that point, marriage was more of a business contract, witnessed by at least one other person, signed and officiated by a NOTARY. There were, in the 13, 14, and 1500's, such things as 'marriage portraits' that sometimes acted as the official document. So if a woman was married to a businessman and he was in another town for any reason, and she needed to carry out some of his business at home? That document allowed her to do so.
And before the 1300's, marriage was really just an agreement between two people (or two families, but I'm going to leave that for another time) that was honoured EVERY DAY by the two of them deciding to stay with each other.
This isn't accounting for a lot of other places* though, so bear that in mind; this information is about what would late become Europe and or European controlled inhabited places.
But the next time someone tells you that marriage is a "sacred institution" and that it's "meant to be witnessed by [insert deity here]", go ahead and ask them just how long it's been like that. Chances are they'll default to "it's always been like that!" and really not have any idea. And the next time you hear about someone and/or something like this well... Do what you think is best, I suppose. Just remember that loving someone, regardless of gender, heritage, age, size, you-name-it, isn't a crime.
Unless you're utterly ridiculous and stupid, like Lord Carey.
(* see also: North and South America before the influx of Europeans, Eastern peoples in places such as India, China, Japan, and Mongolia, and Africa--as in places other than the northern strip of countries)
Did you know that the "institution" bit of things didn't actually start until the early 1600's?
Reality check (paraphrased) : The "institution" was really just the Catholic church responding to the Protestant Reformation. The former was trying to say to people who had joined in with the latter that the church and/or belief was still Very Present in their lives. Because they wanted to prove to people that "god is present in your life" All The Time, the Catholic church started having people hold their marriage vows in the churches.
That's right. Before that point, marriage was more of a business contract, witnessed by at least one other person, signed and officiated by a NOTARY. There were, in the 13, 14, and 1500's, such things as 'marriage portraits' that sometimes acted as the official document. So if a woman was married to a businessman and he was in another town for any reason, and she needed to carry out some of his business at home? That document allowed her to do so.
And before the 1300's, marriage was really just an agreement between two people (or two families, but I'm going to leave that for another time) that was honoured EVERY DAY by the two of them deciding to stay with each other.
This isn't accounting for a lot of other places* though, so bear that in mind; this information is about what would late become Europe and or European controlled inhabited places.
But the next time someone tells you that marriage is a "sacred institution" and that it's "meant to be witnessed by [insert deity here]", go ahead and ask them just how long it's been like that. Chances are they'll default to "it's always been like that!" and really not have any idea. And the next time you hear about someone and/or something like this well... Do what you think is best, I suppose. Just remember that loving someone, regardless of gender, heritage, age, size, you-name-it, isn't a crime.
Unless you're utterly ridiculous and stupid, like Lord Carey.
(* see also: North and South America before the influx of Europeans, Eastern peoples in places such as India, China, Japan, and Mongolia, and Africa--as in places other than the northern strip of countries)