|
Weddings and Civil Unions |
The Church of Reality considers a wedding to be a the agreements that two people make with each other which are based on promises and trust. A civil union is the agreement that you make that is enforceable with the State. In our religion these are two separate events. The civil union being a legal contract between the two individuals that determines issues of property divisions, arbitration, and anything that would fall under contract law. The Church of Reality prefers civil unions to marriage because it allows the couple to form their own agreement that is tailored to them. Church of Reality weddings are available to any couple regardless of sexual orientation.
The Church of Reality is an "Eyes Wide Open" religion. That means that we write our own agreements before we get wedded. That way both parties have to talk it out and agree up front what the rules are. This allows the couple to openly discuss important issues and see if they really have the same understanding and expectations and to craft a bonding agreement that reflects the uniqueness of their personal relationship.
For example, in a wedded relationship a lot of things matter. Gender matters. Male-male, male-female, female-female, and transsexuals are all different. Sometimes there are differences in culture and language. There might be racial and cultural difference. Many people have children or obligations from previous relationships. Most people have income and property issues. There may be age related issues. A relationship between people who are 75 is not the same as people who are 20. There might be issues from previous religions. There are job skill issues. Personal habits. Drug use. Criminal background. TV shows. Differences in IQ. Because of these differences every combination is unique. Thus their civil union should be unique.
Furthermore many people get together and get married far too easily. Although it isn't traditionally romantic, the process of defining the relationship helps to make sure that the relationship will last and that the couple is taking the relationship seriously and not blinded by the passions of the moment. Weddings are long term relationships where the couple at least intends to be together for a long period of time. We also believe that it's not proper for a couple to wed too soon after meeting. We think that the divorce rate can be reduced if a couple takes the time to get to know each other for a while first.
The reason the Church of Reality doesn't support a "one size fits all" marriage is because we want marriage to work.
|
