I teach writing. In the past, when student write arguments on marriage, it’s usually the typical arguments for or against same sex marriage.
This year, I’ve had more than a handful of students write arguments that marriage, whether same sex or not, is discriminatory, because it gives exclusive benefits not available to non-married people. Marriage needs to go!
[Now, before you decide that this is a “see how the push for same-sex marriage is undermining marriage itself” post, please read on..]
In Arizona (and a few other states), there is a type of marriage called covenant marriage. It isn’t quite what marriage was before no-fault divorce came along, but it does make divorce a little more difficult.
Anyone with a standard marriage can upgrade to covenant marriage at any time in Arizona (I’ve looked, and it’s similar in other states). Whenever I mention this to other Mormons (and other very conservative religious types who often talk about the sanctity of marriage and the need to protect it), they get a little uncomfortable. They may say it’s a nice option, but they aren’t going to go change their marriage to that status. Why? Well, just in case, after all.
I sometimes think the defenders of marriage sabotaged their own argument long ago, bizarrely fighting battles they’ve already surrendered.