Marriage is not temporary
An interfaith couple who wanted to have a live-in relationship, not a marriage covenant, approached the High Court of Uttar Pradesh for legal protection. The court rejected their plea stating such live-in relationships are in timepass, temporary, and fragile. Mostly it is infatuation without stability and sincerity. (India Today magazine, 23 October 2023) The judges bring out a few important aspects of marriage.
Timepass It means to use time unproductively, casually, without aim or purpose. Marriage has the noble purpose of companionship, belonging, enjoyment, and procreation.
Not Temporary The husband-and-wife relationship is not a contract or causal relationship. It is a sacred covenant instituted by God between a man and a woman, that they become one flesh. (Genesis 2:24) It is a life-long commitment and only death should separate the couple.
Fragile When the marriage bed is not honorable and sacred, the relationship is fragile, farce, fake, and falsehood. (Hebrews 13:4) Sex within a marriage relationship is sacred, and outside it is adultery, a sin against God.
No stability Without commitment before God, in the eyes of law, people of God, and society, a relationship is unstable. Fickle-minded individuals cannot build a sacred institution like marriage, so they opt for a live-in relationship.
No sincerity A Live-in relationship does not have the right intention, long-term vision, worthy motivation, and selfless commitment; hence insincere. It is to take advantage of the other or even abuse the other, without commitment to love, cherish, nourish, and serve one another.
Infatuation not love The judges rightly observed that the relationship was based on infatuation rather than selfless love. Infatuation is fantasy-based, passionate-longing, and possession-driven. Love is reality-based, understanding, and the right knowledge of others, including their weakness.
Dangerous trap Sadly, there are thousands of young couples who have live-in relationships, including celebrities. For them, marriage is outdated, out of fashion, and meaningless bondage. The simple reason is they cannot accept biblical standards of chastity-based celebration within marriage and celibacy outside marriage. Without self-control, they become emotional beings and end up as emotional wrecks.