Till Death Do Us Part

The status quo of marriage in American

society, in some cases, is a moderately

complicated issue. I do know, however, that

before the marriage takes place there is

an interlude called the dating period. In

this dating period the two members of the

couple attempt to get to know one another.

This is the period where many people fall in

love. This is also the period where many

people realize that they are with the wrong

person and have to start over with

someone new. The dating process, which

lasts for a sporadic interval of time, ends

when one person in the couple offers a

marriage proposal to the other. This

agreement to marriage is a sacred bond of

love and trust that proves to one's

significant other that one will enter into an

exclusive relationship with that person until

they are parted by death. If the marriage

proposal is accepted, the couple is

pronounced engaged, or betrothed to one

another, and they set a marriage date.

During the engagement the couple

exchanges rings as a sign of devotion. Once

the wedding date reaches its destination,

the couple then performs the marriage

ceremony, which is a gathering of close

friends and family to witness the marriage.

This ceremony is performed in a church at

the hand of a priest who then pronounces

the marriage as holy matrimony. During the

wedding ceremony there is another

exchange of rings that show a symbol of

the couples undying love for each other.

After the wedding, the couple usually

takes a trip called the honeymoon where

they consummate the marriage by making

love. This process is the norm for how

people are married in American society.

The problem with this system is that most

people enter into the marriage for the

wrong reasons and end up getting a

divorce. A divorce is a legal dissolution of a

marriage contract. The problem with

divorce is that the marriage is supposed to

be a contract that is supposed to last until

someone in the couple dies; only then is the

sacred vow broken. Otherwise, the couple

is going against God's will. Defying God is

not the only detrimental effect, however.

More marriages in the United States end in

divorce than in any other country in the

world, and it can be seen throughout

America's history. There is consensus that

the overall U.S. divorce rate had a brief

spurt after World War II followed by a

decline. It started rising again in the

1960's and even more quickly in the

1970's, but leveled off in the 1980's only

to begin a fluctuating increase that has

lasted to the present. It is said that 40 or

possibly even 50% of marriages will end in

divorce if the current trends continue.

Divorce would not be such a terrible thing

if the effects were not so negative.

Divorce greatly increases, two- or

three-fold, the incidence of all kinds of

sinister effects on children of divorced

families, including psychological problems,

juvenile delinquency, suicide, ignorance, and

teen motherhood. Problems arise from

conflict during and after divorce more than

from conflict during the marriage.

Problems persist into early adulthood and

affect the marriage and mating choices of

children of divorce. Also there is much

stress over divorce. Adults and children

are at a much more increased risk for

mental and physical problems due to

marital distress than if they were not to

have a divorce at all. The double threat of

marital conflict and divorce has led to a

generation of U.S. children at great risk

for poverty, health problems, alienation,

and antisocial behavior.

I believe that the cause of marriages

ending in divorce is the fact that many

marriages are not entered into in good

faith and that many

...