Civil weddings up

[arcticpenguin]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2003-10-06-civilmarriage-usat_x.htm


Fewer American couples who marry today see the need for religion's approval. The rate of civil marriage is on the rise coast to coast, a USA TODAY analysis of marriage license statistics suggests.
...
There's no national data on how many U.S. marriages are performed by clergy vs. a civil authority such as a notary, judge or justice of the peace. But in the 18 states that have tracked data for any significant period of time since 1980:

• 14 showed a growing or essentially steady rate of civil marriages — more than 40% of marriages in 2001. That's up from about 30% in 1980.
...
University of Washington sociologist Pepper Schwartz, author of American Couples, cites high divorce and remarriage rates, more interfaith marriages and more personalized ideas on spirituality.

This seems to go against the common perception that America is becoming more religious in recent years.

[Brown]

I have yet to encounter a church that holds: "It's okay to marry someone who does not share our faith."

I have encountered churches that tolerate marriages between people of different faiths, but none that encourage it or that really like it. When I went to church as a youth, I was told flat out that it was extremely important to marry someone from the same faith, and that we should not even consider marrying someone from outside the faith.

Some churches will not allow their facilities to be used unless the parties getting married hold faiths that are "acceptable" to the church. As a result, one or both partners in the marriage end up lying about their faiths in order to secure a "church wedding."

Another dynamic is that some churches have a hang-up about divorce and refuse to let divorced people get married in their buildings. A friend of mine got divorced and wanted to remarry. Her church turned its back on her. Never mind that her first husband was unkind to her or that he was a controlling b*st*ard; as far as the church was concerned, divorce was not a good thing. Accordingly, my friend and her new husband had to get married in a civil ceremony, because the church was more interested in preserving an unhappy marriage than in solemnizing a happy one.

[arcticpenguin]

I think the official line of the Holy Roman Catholic church is that the kids must be raised Catholic.

[Franko]

I have yet to encounter a [homosexual] that believes: "It's okay to marry someone who does not share our [homosexuality]."

I have encountered [Gay & Lesbian organizations] that tolerate marriages between people of different [sexual orientations], but none that encourage it or that really like it. When I went to [The Gay & Lesbian center] as a youth, I was told flat out that it was extremely important to marry someone from the same faith , and that we should not even [I]consider marrying someone from outside the faith [who was not a homosexual].

Some [Gay & Lesbian community associations] will not allow their facilities to be used unless the parties getting married hold faiths that are "acceptable" to the [homosexuals]. As a result, one or both partners in the marriage end up lying about their [sexual orientation] in order to secure a "[homosexual] wedding."

Another dynamic is that some [Gay & Lesbian organizations] have a hang-up about [heterosexuals] and refuse to let [heterosexual] people get married in their buildings. A friend of mine got divorced and wanted to remarry. Her [Gay & Lesbian community association] turned its back on her. Never mind that her first [wife] was unkind to her or that [she] was a controlling [b*ct*]; as far as the [Gay & Lesbian organization] was concerned, [heterosexuality] was not a good thing. Accordingly, my friend and her new husband had to get married in a civil ceremony, because the [Gay & Lesbian association] was more interested in preserving an unhappy [homosexual] marriage than in solemnizing a happy [heterosexual] one.


I personally do not know a single heterosexual who is married to homosexual, but I don’t find that so odd.