Marriage vs. Living Together

Marriage vs. Living Together

Many young couples choose different living arrangements. Some prefer to stand in front of their friends, family, and God, and vow to be together in marriage for the rest of their lives. Others choose just to live together without marriage. There are pros and cons to both situations. Marriage has been an honored tradition for many centuries. For Christians there are many religious reasons. The very first miracle that Jesus had performed was changing water into wine. He did this during a celebration of marriage. Sacred Scripture begins with the creation of man and woman in the image and likeness of God, and concludes with a vision of “the wedding feast of the Lamb”. When a couple makes that vow in front of family, friends and God, they feel more of a commitment. They now have a partner for life. Marriage makes the couples work harder toward a lasting relationship. They no longer introduce their significant other as a boyfriend or girlfriend; they are now husband and wife. It is an honored title. Married couples also benefit financially. There are many tax breaks for married couples. In addition to this, if a couple were to get divorced, they would be allowed to collect spousal support. They would also be entitled to half of the possessions that they have acquired throughout the marriage. There are other benefits too. For example, if a spouse was in a medical emergency situation, being married, one would have the right to make life or death decisions for the other spouse. In fact, only a spouse or family member is allowed to visit a critically ill patient in the hospital. When you are living together with someone, there is no ceremony to celebrate this type of union. According to Christian teachings, sharing a bed with someone you are not married to, is called adultery. This is against the sixth Commandment. This type of relationship is not a true commitment. Unmarried persons are less likely to work