by Angel Liu

Created on: March 21, 2007   Last Updated: April 23, 2007

Marriage: "an interpersonal relationship with governmental, social, or religious recognition, usually intimate and sexual, and often created as a contract." From Wikipedia.

Interestingly enough, Wikipedia also provides a boxed listing of "Close Relationships" on the same page. Alphabetically, the word "Adultery" appears first. The next word is "Affair". Marriage it seems is somewhere in the middle. The lower middle.

Pure coincidence of course since the alphabet simply works that way. What isn't a coincidence is that just as much as marriage exists, so do affairs and adultery. And perhaps this would strongly point out the first objection anyone would have to marriage: the loss of freedom of choice. (Polygamists and Swingers, please stop reading)

Christianity views marriage as a covenant and a sacrament. These are big words with huge implications. Simply put, you marry to choose one partner to live with, love with, procreate with and by all initial intent, grow old and die with.

In the words of Connor "The Highlander" MacLeod, "There can be Only One." And then he proceeded to kill all challengers, albeit in self-defense.

This isn't much different to the often difficult yet potentially rewarding experience of marriage. Suddenly, you have shunned all other choices, closed all options, and are now engaged in protecting and defending the one choice you did make, which is to commit to this other person in a depth of manner where the word "commit" transforms through time and can sometimes begin to conjure up images of bedlam, specially when they drool or have wonky hair in the mornings, or won't stop asking you the same question twenty times over. The gifts of loyalty, fidelity, love and life-long companionship can and for those suited to the institution often do redeem all sacrifices made upon the altar.

But for others, this is not the place to be. In countries, where divorce is not available, there is literally nothing else aside from a life-long prison term which rivals this binding. Majority of the population in the West have this "out" if you will and are provided with the possibility of a return and an exchange. And yet, even with that freedom lurking temptingly in the background, marriage retains an oppressive and restricting demeanor to many who balk at the institution.

I can list and sub-list many, many reasons, as well as a variety of factors as to why marriage is an unsuitable choice for certain individuals. These can range from the mundane (loss of privacy,

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