by Joye Chase

Created on: August 26, 2008   Last Updated: October 14, 2010

We are living in a country where divorce rates, abortion rates, and STD statistics are at an overwhelmingly critical high. So the question comes: Should couples live together before getting married?

Most people justify this lifestyle with, "What's wrong with it? This is just the practice round for marriage, to see if we are really meant for each other." There are several problems with it. For starters, it sadly degrades the sanctity of marriage. By saying that you will live with someone you are also saying that you want to sleep with someone who you know in your heart you would not stick with in a "better or for worse" scenario. It cancels out marriage in a way. What you are doing when you shack up is hold a temporary marriage, and when things do start to fall apart you can leave without going through any necessary legal hassle.

Divorce has become so prominent in this country that shacking up is looked upon as the more practical alternative. The result? Brokenhearted children, mixed-up families, and a diseased society.
What happened to "true love"? Love was supposed to be some kind of emotion that makes you believe that that particular person is the one you're supposed to be with for the rest of eternity. At least that was the general definition last time I checked. Why would you want to be with someone who says they "love" you but is not ready to commit to you? Warning bells should go off. "Let's live together." When you put that through the truth filter that usually translates, "I want to sleep with you, I just don't see us together in the future." Why would anybody want a relationship like that?

When somebody tells you after a thorough, healthy dating relationship, "I want to marry you," that is completely the opposite. Though marriages don't always work out at least marital intentions are much more sincere than a shack up relationship.

It always comes down to what the individual thinks of themselves. What happened to people's general self-esteem? What happened to somebody wanting to respect themselves enough to find that person that was meant for them, have a respectful and respected relationship and get married? Marriage is something that needs to be worked on. Once you are married, you should not look at it as a temporary bond, but a bond that can never be broken. You could never divorce your mother or your son. Why then is it okay for us to divorce a husband or a wife. The funny thing is, we don't get to choose what kind of person our mother is or that our son becomes, yet we do get to choose our spouse. That's a problem for the overall ego of human judgment.
If you are shacking up you are reducing yourself to no more than a slut without a salary. You could move it to the sidewalk and make some money off of it. Marriage is wonderful. Love is a choice. You must choose to love everyday.

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