tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26974492.post4345377036800267174..comments2024-03-25T12:56:59.509-04:00Comments on alien romances: Explaining Marriage To An ALIENRowena Cherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11839386556697211986noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26974492.post-9005716688190118642014-04-08T11:58:31.902-04:002014-04-08T11:58:31.902-04:00Interesting proposals. But -- "meeting or exc...Interesting proposals. But -- "meeting or exceeding academic goals"? So many circumstances can place that result out of the parents' control. <br /><br />Your final paragraph reminds me of C. S. Lewis's comments about marriage in MERE CHRISTIANITY. He suggests that there should be a clear, visible distinction between couples who are married in "the Christian sense" and those who aren't. The church has no place in prescribing the conditions of marriage for the latter. Lewis, of course, wouldn't have approved of same-sex marriage or polygamy, even in the case of civil (non-religious) marriages, but IMO he's on the right track there. The civil contract should be open to any two or more consenting adults. (Though I don't personally believe in polygamy, it could be made to work and I can't see any legitimate civil objection to it for adults -- it presents financial difficulties such as tax and insurance issues, but if an insurance policy can handle multiple children, it should be able to handle multiple spouses.) In fact, I would like to see a form of "domestic partnership" that would be open to any two people not already otherwise committed, such as unmarried siblings or a widowed parent and child who want to merge their finances, to share Social Security, health benefits, etc. Whether or what kind of sex is involved should be irrelevant in the eyes of the state.<br /><br />Spouses in a "domestic partnership" or "civil marriage" should be called something else. I've always liked the term "freemates" from Bradley's Darkover series.Margaret Carterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08293021955480708191noreply@blogger.com