Marriage

For thsoe that dont know a covenant marriage it is like an enforceable contract (legal term: no-fault divorce) between two partners mainly hetrosexual which stipulates fidelity and life-long commitment. For a covenant marriage, a couple must have premarital counselling and commit to counselling in the event of later problems. Currently covenant marriage legislation is only available in 3 states: Louisiana, Arizona, cant remember the other and I think its available in Canada.

I pose this question because i dont think it has validity in contemporary times and is rather an archaic form of a binding contract, a way in which marriage becomes privatised, failing to take into consideration that further probelms down the track can occur between partners, a falling out, arguments, custody battlements and the subsequent divorce. Covenant marriage or marriage contracts purport to try to stop this as it believes the institution of marriage is at an end althought it is surviving. Some agree that it has already begun a renaissance in recent decades.

Most celebrities nowdayds engage in pre-marriage contract and pre-nuptialsl. It seems that this kind of pre-marriage preparation is the norm to be acknowledged before marrying someone wealthy or property-rich. In a sense marriage is seen as an investment rather than a partnership which can be worked out if there is a falling out. Covenant marriages, form what i have understood, is only available in the United States of America.

If a marriage is simply a contract of autonomous individuals, why do spouses suffer such emotional injury?

Should covenant marriages be mandatory? Why? Why not?

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

This is dating advice for chicks. Click on the topic you want, or start with the first one and read them all using the navigation at the bottom of each page.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Dating advice for chicks:

Even if things all add up on paper that doesn't mean you have marriage-material on your hands; things could get very different the longer you're with him (and the more you learn about the weird tick he assures you is 'nothing'). How can you be sure it's gonna work? What you need is a test-bed; a microcosm of what your life will be like with him after the thrill wears off. A controlled, laboratory environment where all of his best and worst traits will be laid bare for you to assess (and, most likely, recoil in horror.)

Face it, Love isn't gonna find you. Try Matchmaker. What the hell, it's free.

Luckily that microcosm exists—it's called travel. But, we don't mean luxury travel-hell, anyone can survive a week at the Maui Four Seasons without revealing any unpleasant personality quirks. We're talking about 'budget travel'. The kind of travel that taps deeply into the psychological and physical differences between men and women. The kind of travel that pits man against woman in some very primal, conflict-charged situations; such as getting lost and having to ask for directions, among others.

To start the experiment, load your lab rat...er, boyfriend into an economy compact rental car and hit the road for at least an 8-hour road-trip. The destination doesn't matter; it's the trip itself that tells you all you need to know. Just get your potential love-mate into a cramped moving vehicle for several long, boring hours and you'll really find out how much you like him. And how much he really likes you.

Trust us, after 500 miles in a hot, odd-smelling shit box, he'll reveal tons of specific information about himself that will allow you to peer into the future of your lives together. When people are outside their normal comfort zone and bored to tears, their real personality shows up. You'll know whether he makes the experience more tolerable, or more miserable. Because, if you can't get along for 8-hours without screaming and lunging for each other's jugular, how long do you think you'd last in a marriage? Not damn much longer.

Budget travel lets you experience each other's problem-solving skills (or lack thereof). Plus, it gives you an idea of how your different approaches mix, or don't. If he's the advance-planner type and you're the seat-of-your-pants spontaneous type, you'll find out if they work well together, and fast.

It's like compressing time; you'll quickly reach each other's limits and discover if his adorable little quirks will still be adorable later when you're married and borderline suicidal.

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Dating advice for chicks:

Like we said, a good personal ad is a specific ad. So ask yourself the following questions and incorporate the answers into your ad. If you touch on all of these topics you'll seem picky, but that's the whole idea. Do you want to waste your and time on men who aren't what you're looking for? If you do, you might as well hit the bars.

AGE RANGE - What age range of men are you comfortable being caught panty-less with? And don't just think in absolute terms like 18-35. What age historically have you been better with? Cradle-robbing, or Viagra-poppers?

MARITAL STATUS - How much baggage do you want to deal with? Do you want someone who is single, divorced or never-married? Never-marrieds often have naive, idealistic views of relationships, while divorced people are often more realistic but have “Ex” baggage—namely, kids.

OCCUPATION - Corporate CEO, stay-at-home Mr. Mom, or former adult film star? Think down the road to your 20th high-school reunion. Will you care then what your significant other does? Or who he did?

RELIGION - Pick one, none, or don't think it matters? It does. Religion can make your life hell (assuming you believe in hell).

EDUCATION - GED, High School, College, MBA, or doesn't matter? Sure it's only a piece of paper, but do you want all your future conversations limited to what's on TV that night?

ATHLETIC ACTIVITY - Very, somewhat, or total couch potato? The last thing you wanna do is hook up with one of those perky morning guys who runs marathons if you're a night person who smokes crack and only runs when the cops are chasing you.

SMOKING/DRINKING/DRUGS - Yes/No/Occasional? Lots of relationship problems begin and end here. Smoking shows an oral fixation and weakness of character that you can exploit for your own sexual benefit. A guy with a drinking problem will say things he doesn't mean, such as “I do.” And drugs can mask even deeper problems, like his lengthy police record.

POLITICAL LEANING - Are you looking for someone leaning Liberal or more Conservative? You can avoid a lot of screaming matches every fourth November by asking upfront.

ASTROLOGY - What sign are you compatible with generally? Don't know? Find out, it could save you both a lot of headaches. Or, faking them anyway. At least tell others what your sign is.

PROXIMITY - Long distance relationships are notoriously a bitch, but not impossible if you don't mind to traveling. Or, if you have a husband you're not telling your boyfriend about.

KIDS - Breeder or Childless By Choice? Children are often a deal-maker or breaker for new relationships, so no matter how you really feel about them, be sure to lie and say you want them. You can always give them up for adoption.

INTERESTS - Do you like Opera? Or Bowling? You need to let men know whether you are a pretentious bitch or a white trash whorebag.

SENSE OF HUMOR - What specifically do you find funny? Even if it's just fart jokes. Give girls a good idea of what you consider funny: like Jon Stewart. Or if you don't like humor: Sinbad.

MUSICAL TASTES - List specific bands/artists to show what type of music you like. Or, if you like Country music, just put down “I don't like music.”

STRANGE INTERESTS - Also, list any unusual interests you have that someone might need to know about you. (And not just the FBI.) Interests you'd like a man to share. Just be specific so you don't waste time with shallow, meaningless relationships that just end in sex. After all, what's the point of that? (Waitaminute...)

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Dating advice for chicks:

Probably not. Why? Because you're not sure. The cool thing about love is that you never doubt this. You know.

If you're not sure, ask yourself why. Not why aren't you sure, but why aren't you gone?

When someone loves you YOU know it.

They do stupid things. They don't care about being cool. They think about you all the time.

Sound romantic? It is.

But don't worry, it won't last. (In fact, it won't last more than 2 years—tops—according to research.) Still, if you don't have it for the first five years of a relationship, then you ain't got shit.

And if you are questioning whether or not you are The One for them, then you probably aren't. Check out time. Bellhop? Take their bags!

Wasting time with people who aren't The One just makes you older, uglier and less likely to find someone who IS the One. Cut them loose now.

Guys will stay in a relationship because he's getting regular sex (without having to put in the heavy upfront "hitting on" effort). A woman will delude herself into thinking "it will get better".

It won't.

Is personality all you've got to offer a guy? Get the body you want now.

In fact, odds are it'll get worse.

The romance will fade slowly away, imperceptibly at first, until you both have so much invested in the relationship that you CAN'T leave because that would mean admitting you both made a huge mistake. Then, for some reason, many couples will decide to have kids.

Do you truly feel like they think you are The Shit? Then you aren't. Don't be too upset. Take it like the piece of used meat that you are, and hit the road.