Marriage

Marriage is a social, religious, spiritual, emotional and/or legal union of individuals that creates kinship. This union may also be called matrimony, while the ceremony that marks its beginning is usually called a wedding and the married status created is sometimes called wedlock. Marriage is an institution in which interpersonal relationships (usually intimate and sexual) are acknowledged by the state, by religious authority, or both. It is often viewed as a contract. Civil marriage is the legal concept of marriage as a governmental institution, in accordance with marriage laws of the jurisdiction. If recognized by the state, by the religion(s) to which the parties belong or by society in general, the act of marriage changes the personal and social status of the individuals who enter into it. People marry for many reasons, but usually one or more of the following: legal, social, emotional, and economic stability; the formation of a family unit; procreation and the education and nurturing of children; legitimizing sexual relations; public declaration of love.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

The Distance Dilemma

The issue of how far to cast your net when dating online is interesting and can involve difficult choices. If you get involved with someone far away and want to get serious, there's the risk of having to uproot your life - leaving a job, family, and community to make a relationship work. On meeting-stories.org Kim tells an amazing story about meeting a guy living in Prague on match.com. They hit it off over email and decided to marry before meeting face-to-face (or talking on the phone)! When Kim arrived in Prague for the wedding there were a few surprises she didn't expect... Check out the story and photos here: http://www.meeting-stories.org/MeetingStories/story?sid=26 It all worked out for Kim and her husband, but uprooting your life for someone you meet online doesn't work for everyone. Do you have a story to share? What would you think if a friend or a family member said "yes" to marry someone they'd never met in person? Have an opinion about how far we should cast our nets when dating online? Comment here or go to our website: meeting-stories.org

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