Marriage vs. Living Together free essay sample

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 â€Å"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. We will write a custom essay sample on Marriage vs. Living Together or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 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 as hard to make the relationship last a long time. A relationship without marriage is vulnerable. Cohabitation causes physical and mental pain to the individuals and their children. Studies show that there is a higher chance of drug and alcohol abuse in these types of relationships. Statistics indicate that the chance for physical abuse is greater. If there are children involved, the children suffer as well. A child would have to explain to other children why their mommy and daddy are not married, and why their mommy has a different last name than the child. Living unmarried with a significant other, can also affect finances negatively. Without a binding contract, such as a marriage license, the cohabitant can move out at any time, and take everything with him or herself. If one of the partners were to leave, the other partner would not able to collect alimony, or any other form of support. If one or the other was in a critical condition at a hospital, visitation would be prohibited. That is a privilege for family members or a spouse only. If couples would sit down and look at the pros and cons, of both marriage and living together, they could come to a decision that may be a wiser choice in their lives. Most couples, these days, just jump into living together, instead of thinking things through. There are many reasons why a young couple would avoid marriage, for example: careers, fear of commitment, or peer pressure. After speaking with a young couple that cohabitates, I have come to the realization that the main reason couples avoid marriage, is because our society accepts this type of living arrangement.