Historical View of Marriage

"Why marriage? It's a deceptively simple question, with answers as varied as a wedding bouquet. Economics. Politics. Religion. Revenge. Heirs. Survival. And, love. Of course, love. But not until recently, historically speaking. About the only constant with marriage, it seems, is that it's never been constant at all.While the U.S. Senate last week rejected a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, the issue is unlikely to go away. And what sometimes gets lost in this stirred-up emotional climate is that the institution of marriage -- its purpose and who can participate -- has always been hotly debated.

"For thousands of years, people have been proclaiming a crisis in marriage and pointing backward to better days," said Stephanie Coontz, director of research and public education at the Chicago-based Council on Contemporary Families, and author of "Marriage, a History."" By Gail Rosenblum, Star Tribune Link to Article (last visited 6-18-06 NVS)