Good question!

Do you think you can love someone but not be married? What does marriage really mean? Do you think people should be allowed to have "sex" even if they aren't married? So you can't fully love someone until you have paper and ink?

To view more on this topic:

http://www.atrl.net/?p=1607313#1607313

Let's discuss!

It is for when you love this person so so much and you're planning on spending the rest of your life together. You marry her/him to let everyone know how much you love each other and that you're planning to live forever in a ceremony where the 2 are the point of attention.

^ wow its like "public display of affection"

I think marriage = committed/commitment.

You are willing to spend eternity with them! BUT, (later on when this topic dies out) I'll be discussing "Divorce" How do you explain that one? But don't talk about divorce now. This is a topic for later. We are on marriage.

I think marriage is an agreement between two people that "shows" on paper and ink that you "intertwined" your "two" states in spending the rest of your lifes together. BUT, I don't think that truely neccessarliy means you can or cannot have sex. Sex is a whole different meaning, meaning true love/passion for the other. I think you can have sex before marriage, just as long as you know you are in love.

Sex does not mean the same thing as marriage, at least from my perspective.

LOL look at m-w.com's definition

mar·riage
Pronunciation: \ˈmer-ij, ˈma-rij\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English mariage, from Anglo-French, from marier to marry
Date: 14th century
1 a (1): the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law (2): the state of being united to a person of the same sex in a relationship like that of a traditional marriage <same-sex marriage> b: the mutual relation of married persons : wedlock c: the institution whereby individuals are joined in a marriage
2: an act of marrying or the rite by which the married status is effected; especially : the wedding ceremony and attendant festivities or formalities
3: an intimate or close union <the marriage of painting and poetry — J. T. Shawcross>

@rocketlove: do you think it is necessary for same sex lovers to marry one another? just curious

See, I can't get married. So then what?

I can't have sex (not that I don't want to ) because of my "sexuality" unless I go to a specific state. But same sex marriage is just weird to me...I don't know.

The purpose of marriage is to make sure the wife can get alimony when you divorce. Also it makes a country's bureaucracy and laws more complicated so there are more white-collar jobs available to the public.