[extropy-chat] Marriage (was: No Joy in Mudville)

[Hara Ra]

I think a problem here is what exactly is a "marriage'. My men's group here 
in Santa Cruz, a rather liberal place, went kinda nuts on this issue. There 
are several notions using the same terminology, here is an incomplete list:

	union of man and woman
	union of any legal adults
	term for defining property rights, wills, etc
	union for creating and nurture of children

I don't see any solutions any time soon. The eskimo supposedly has 150 
words for snow, we have maybe 7. English is a language very poor in words 
for kinds, objects, types of interpersonal unions.

I personally avoid the issue by using the term "partner", in our case a 
person, female, with commitment equivalent to 'marriage' but not closed; 
and after 3 'marriages' there is an aversion to something so easily 
entered, and so difficult to end. We would legally marry if and only if 
there is some really significant advantage to it. (Which might happen, but 
it is using a legal convention to our advantage.)
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=   Hara Ra (aka Gregory Yob)    =
=     harara at sbcglobal.net       =
=   Alcor North Cryomanagement   =
=   Alcor Advisor to Board       =
=       831 429 8637             =
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