Marriage in the Modern Age

How do we honor love, God(s), and community

while decreasing the divorce rate?
By
Jordan Victoria St. Cristi

Honor and Respect

With-out understanding modern love in a more evolved and
comprehensive model then we have been using, we risk losing
the systems of respect that create civility to be a system that
works for human beings. So it seems that one choice for
marriage leaves people out. Out of touch, out of time, and out
of options that honor and respect the pathways that God has
chosen for us. And so I apply the same methodology to solving
the problems of love as I would any problem, and I find that
when we have more then one choice, freedom is suddenly
realized. So to produce futures where promises can be kept,
love is honored in its many forms, and civilization works to
protect us, rather then to harm us; I make the following
formulas available for consideration:

Civil Unions
Possibly temporary unions honored by the government in which the union
was created.
Given the same legal rights and tax breaks as any legally married couple.
Applies to any gendered couple.
Does not necessarily involve religion.
All elopements would qualify as Civil Unions.
Mandatory pre-nuptials.
Every 3-5 years a mandatory evaluation of the civil union is made by a
member of the justice system to make sure the union in still valid.
Dissolving Civil Unions are simple and easy, with little or no fiscal
penalties, unless one party is proven to have been abusive to the other. A
dissolving of a civil union would not be considered a divorce.
People can engage in more then one Civil Union at a time, but all parties
involved must be aware of the existence of the other.

Marriage 2
Marriages meant to last a life-time, or at least with that as the
initial intention.
Less conventional, spiritual based religions would qualify.
Polygamous and Same-Sex marriages would qualify.
All of the legal and tax benefits attributed to married couples would
apply.
A pre-nuptial would be allowed.
Divorces would take six months to close. There maybe small fiscal
penalties for divorces with-in the first five years of marriage, which
would be waived if one partner proved to be abusive, or if
counseling was sought, and no resolution to the marital problems
were produced.
Would require a waiting period of two weeks for marriage
certificate.

Marriage 1
Holy Matrimony

Would be distinguished by the requirement that a traditional religious group was providing
pre-marriage counseling, that the couple were both married under the supervision of that
religious group, and that the religious values of that recognized group were in alignment with
all federal laws.
Pre-nuptials are not allowed.
Mandatory 6 month wait for marriage certificate.
Divorces are only granted in the case of abuse. Heavy Fiscal Penalties may apply, depending
on the reason for the divorce.
After divorce, Marriage 1 may not be available again as a choice.
Adultery would be a reason for imprisonment.
The abuse of religious values maybe a reason to loose the right to marry in that religious
group again, but children can still be baptized, and divorce would not alienate that couple
from the religion, but if one partner is deemed abusive they may be asked to worship at
another site of worship.
You must be legally deemed a woman and a man to have marriage 1 as an option.
Polygamy would not qualify for marriage 1.
After 10 years of marriage your tax benefits would increase.
Is the only type of marriage where the promise Till death do us part may be used.