And while probably the bill has good intentions (looking out for the children — which I think we would all support), I think it’s too broad and kind of naive.

I don’t see the bill as people trying to convert others. I see it as looking out for the children who do not have a voice. And I was one of them.

So, other than possibly infringing on someone’s liberty, I do not see this as being a judgement passed on anyone.

Encouraging people to “take marriage more seriously” is an idea with good intentions, but I don’t know how effective it would be in reducing the number of divorces — or I should say, significantly reducing the number of divorces.

I concur. While I do think that there are some people who do trivalize the institution, I don’t know if there really is a surefire way to fix it. And I can’t say that if people bought in to good, old-fashioned Christian values they’d be more successful or have ‘better’ marriages because according to the Barna Report, ‘born-again’ Christians rank just at the top of the divorce rate list.

There isn’t a magic bullet to remedy this problem. The best thing is maturity, committment and love … but sometimes even that isn’t everything.

Sometimes it is better for both parties to separate.

I take marriage seriously (as, I’m sure, all you do) in that I truly believe that my marriage is something which will last throughout my lifetime. I would never imagine simply walking away from my marriage - either from frustration or from a wanting of something else for my life. I am dedicated to my wife and to our committment and I will do whatever it takes to make our marriage work. Marriage is going to be hard sometimes, and I just don’t appreciate the notion that it’s something which is to be taken lightly.

Sorry for the long quoted section. Couldn’t find any of it to take out, though. It’s all relevant to my comment.

And Jmac, let me start by saying I know that you don’t think divorce is always wrong, or those who get divorced are flawed in some way. You’ve made that clear. So my comment isn’t about you.

I also truly believe the sentiments you expressed in the section of your comment that I quoted. I know that you believe these things strongly and aren’t just saying them for the heck of it, but because it is very important to you. I also know that you don’t think you’re “better” than anybody because you are married.

The problem is this. I feel like there are people out there who do just say things like that because they like the way it sounds, they think it makes them sound so sanctified and special, and they like to get up on their high horse and act like they’re so much better than anybody who’s ever gotten a divorce, because they know the importance of marriage and they take it seriously and they’re not going to just walk away if things get tough, no sirree bob! To them, people who’ve gotten a divorce have a stigma. They’re not as good. They have a flaw of character somehow — they didn’t try hard enough, or they’re weak, or selfish, or childish. And that’s that.

But nothing is ever that simple. I’m not saying there aren’t cases of divorce that are clear-cut, with the people just deciding to give up, or one partner flat-out being an asshole. BUT. What it comes down to is this. You can never predict what will happen in the future. You can’t know what will happen tomorrow, a year from now, 5 years from now, and so on. When I got married I believed my marriage would last forever. Chris and I got married because we were seriously committed to each other and wanted to spend the rest of our lives together as a married couple. Jmac, just like you truly believe that your marriage is something which will last throughout your lifetime, so did I.

Encouraging people to “take marriage more seriously” is an idea with good intentions, but I don’t know how effective it would be in reducing the number of divorces — or I should say, significantly reducing the number of divorces. My marriage was not something I entered into lightly. I took it VERY seriously. If anyone had come along and tried to tell me to stop, wait a little longer, think about it more, I would have told them they don’t know what the hell they’re talking about and they don’t know ME, because that’s exactly what I had done. And looking back, I can’t see that it could’ve happened any other way. And I don’t regret anything. “Waiting” or “thinking about it more”… none of that would’ve prevented what ultimately was the result. Shit happens, you know? And not just simple shit that people can dismiss as an example of partners “just giving up.” LIFE happens. And — at the risk of sounding unbelievably cliche — we have no way of knowing what twists and turns it will take next.

Premise, premise, premise, conclusion.

Criticism. Premise, premise, conclusion, speculation, rant.

You know, it has been suggested that marriage licenses should come up for renewal every few years.