Why Marriage?

So as a solution, instead of the path that is being follow by some Europeans countries and USA, I propose that a new legal framework should be planned and established. It is unjust that many same-sex couples that decided to live together be completely outside of legal rights as also obligations, things like healthcare rights, inheritance, or discriminatory behaviors should be contemplate by law, if not already, but through the light of this new legal frame, different in essence, even in name and purpose of the traditional marriage, but sufficient embracing to protect basic rights that should be attributed to this new legal agreement that could be called simply same-sex union.   

Further, the Obergefell v. Hodges case article states that “It is demeaning to lock same-sex couples out of a central institution of the Nation’s society, for they too may aspire to the transcendent purposes of marriage.” This is, in my opinion, one of the most contradictory statement of the article. The right to aspire is obviously something inherent good and even sacred, for instance, I truly aspired, according to my beliefs to be together forever with my family, and with my Heavenly Father, but aspire, as I believe, must be inside of our realm of capacity and potential, for instance, even if I want to aspire to be a beautiful dark horse, I cannot, is far beyond the natural order of things. Aspire must be then something that must be intrinsic with the natural order of creation. Same-sex couples that aspire to the “transcendent purposes of marriage” as stated, are aspiring to something that is out of their chosen condition, marriage gained their transcendent position exactly by their...

Let me go back now to the Obergefell v. Hodges case, and try to analyze some of the considerations given.  First of all, I will not evaluate the cultural, political and ideological reasons that are behind the authors of the text, although I agree that intrinsically these are reasons enough to determine the route of a decision. In the beginning of the article, the proponents affirm that the “The history of marriage is one of both continuity and change. Changes, such as the decline of arranged marriages and the abandonment of the law of coverture, have worked deep transformations in the structure of marriage, affecting aspects of marriage once viewed as essential.” Although I agree in part with the statement, watchful citizens can look further and realized that this statement is only analyzing a certain period of time, a couple of hundred years or so, but marriage is much older than that, it routed since the beginning of human existence, and I believe that being so, at least two...

The Supreme Court Obergefell v. Hodges case will probably be one of the most important case of recent America history. The total implication of this decision is for now unknown, but one thing is for sure, for us, as Latter-day Saints, and I believe also to most Christians and defenders of traditional marriage, and let me make clear, that when I use the word traditional I am not addressing any outdated or retrograde idea about marriage, the divine institution of marriage, ordained by God, as I believed, between a man and a woman, and lived and maintained by many civilizations all over many millenniums was, are, and will be the most important and sacred institution on earth, and the major social pillar that support it. Without strong, balanced, and respected marriages and family’s societies will derive to unsafe and dangerous waters prophesied by ancient prophets and wisely reiterated more recently in the proclamation to the world – The Family by The First Presidency and the Council...

Like so many other western countries, Portugal is also suffering a kind of marriage syndrome which main symptom is a worrisome decrease on marriages. According to PORDATA the total amount of marriages between people of opposite sex from Catholic and non-Catholic marriages decreased from a total value of 71,654 marriages in 1990 to 31,977 in 2016, less than half in 26 years. Source: Total Marriages Portugal   Even more impressive is the divorce rates in Portugal that more than triple in a period of only 20 years, increasing from 17.7 divorces per 100 marriages in 1993 to 70.4 in 2013, leading the country to the top of a list of other 28 Europeans countries. Source:  Number of divorces per marriage