Marriage: Your Thoughts & Opinions
Your gender?
| 61% (11) | Male | |
|---|---|---|
| 38% (7) | Female |
18 voters have answered this question.
Your age?
| 0% (0) | <13 | |
|---|---|---|
| 0% (0) | 13-15 | |
| 0% (0) | 16-17 | |
| 5% (1) | 18-19 | |
| 11% (2) | 20-22 | |
| 5% (1) | 23-26 | |
| 5% (1) | 27-29 | |
| 16% (3) | 30-34 | |
| 11% (2) | 35-39 | |
| 5% (1) | 40-44 | |
| 5% (1) | 45-49 | |
| 11% (2) | 50-54 | |
| 22% (4) | 55+ |
18 voters have answered this question.
Your race/ethnicity? Please excuse the simple and limited options.
| 88% (16) | White | |
|---|---|---|
| 0% (0) | Black | |
| 5% (1) | Asian | |
| 0% (0) | Latino/Latina | |
| 0% (0) | Arabic | |
| 0% (0) | Indian | |
| 0% (0) | Native American | |
| 5% (1) | Other (please specify) |
18 voters have answered this question.
Your religion, if any?
| 61% (11) | Christianity | |
|---|---|---|
| 0% (0) | Judaism | |
| 0% (0) | Islam | |
| 0% (0) | Hinduism or Buddhism | |
| 5% (1) | Other (please specify) | |
| 33% (6) | Not religious (Atheist or Agnostic) |
18 voters have answered this question.
Your current relationship status?
| 38% (7) | Single, never married | |
|---|---|---|
| 0% (0) | In a relationship (never married, but have a boyfriend/girlfriend) | |
| 0% (0) | Engaged to be married | |
| 55% (10) | Married | |
| 0% (0) | Married (2nd marriage) | |
| 0% (0) | Married (3rd+ marriage) | |
| 5% (1) | Divorced, now single | |
| 0% (0) | Divorced, now in a relationship | |
| 0% (0) | Widowed, now single | |
| 0% (0) | Widowed, now in a relationship |
18 voters have answered this question.
Ideally, about how long should a couple be in a relationship before getting married?
| 11% (2) | <1 year | |
|---|---|---|
| 33% (6) | 1 year | |
| 22% (4) | 2 years | |
| 22% (4) | 3 years | |
| 5% (1) | 4 years | |
| 0% (0) | 5 years | |
| 5% (1) | 6+ years |
18 voters have answered this question.
Do you believe that the institution of marriage remains valuable and virtuous in today's society?
| 16% (3) | It's just as valuable and necessary as it's ever been and is still being treated as such | |
|---|---|---|
| 66% (12) | Current society undervalues marriage and it should be regarded as more important than it is right now | |
| 16% (3) | It's less important than it has been in history, and I'm glad that this is the case |
18 voters have answered this question.
Traditional marriage vows commonly have each person swearing to "love, cherish, and honor" the other "in sickness and in health, until death do us part." Do you support couples making such a vow at a wedding?
| 72% (13) | Yes, and each spouse needs to truly mean it and keep this vow for their entire marriage | |
|---|---|---|
| 16% (3) | Yes, but such a vow is mostly just a tradition and a symbol of love | |
| 11% (2) | No, the divorce rate is too high and the odds of a couple breaking this vow render it meaningless |
18 voters have answered this question.
In addition to vowing to "love, cherish, and honor" the other, do you believe it is appropriate for one or both spouses to add "obey" into the vow?
| 0% (0) | Yes, they should both add it to their vows since they should obey each other within their marriage | |
|---|---|---|
| 61% (11) | Yes, the wife should add it to her vow | |
| 16% (3) | Yes, the husband should add it to his vow | |
| 22% (4) | No, this is unnecessary |
18 voters have answered this question.
Do you believe that it is morally acceptable, generally speaking, to have intimate relations before marriage?
| 50% (9) | Yes | |
|---|---|---|
| 50% (9) | No |
18 voters have answered this question.
In marriage, should there be a Head of Household (HOH) who is primarily responsible for making decisions while the other spouse provides advice and support and obeys those decisions?
| 61% (11) | The husband should be HOH | |
|---|---|---|
| 16% (3) | The wife should be HOH | |
| 22% (4) | There should be no HOH and both spouses should share equal authority in making decisions |
18 voters have answered this question.
Do you believe that it is important that one spouse is more dominant while the other spouse is more submissive?
| 66% (12) | Yes, this naturally helps to avoid conflicts and improves the overall marriage | |
|---|---|---|
| 11% (2) | Kind of, since it's helpful but not very important | |
| 22% (4) | No, I don't think dominance or submission matters at all |
18 voters have answered this question.
What is your opinion on the practice of Domestic Discipline, which involves one spouse using physical punishments on the other for the purpose of improving behavior, being intimate, and/or reinforcing their gender roles?
| 55% (10) | I think it is acceptable and can benefit spouses who engage in it properly | |
|---|---|---|
| 22% (4) | I think it is acceptable, but I don't think it is very beneficial | |
| 22% (4) | I don't think it is acceptable and it should not be a part of marriage |
18 voters have answered this question.
Do you believe that having children is a necessary aspect to marriage if both spouses are physically capable of it?
| 55% (10) | Yes | |
|---|---|---|
| 44% (8) | No | |
| 0% (0) | Other (please explain) |
18 voters have answered this question.
If both spouses work, do you believe that they should share a joint bank account or maintain separate accounts?
| 88% (16) | Joint account | |
|---|---|---|
| 11% (2) | Separate accounts | |
| 0% (0) | They should not have any bank accounts at all |
18 voters have answered this question.
Do you believe it is best for both spouses to work, or is it best for only one to work and the other to stay at home?
| 22% (4) | Both should work | |
|---|---|---|
| 22% (4) | Both should work but, if there are kids, the husband should work and the wife should remain at home | |
| 0% (0) | Both should work but, if there are kids, the wife should work and the husband should remain at home | |
| 38% (7) | Husband should work, wife should remain at home | |
| 16% (3) | Wife should work, husband should remain at home |
18 voters have answered this question.
How important is it that a husband and wife share some of the same hobbies?
| 5% (1) | It's absolutely necessary | |
|---|---|---|
| 5% (1) | It's very important | |
| 11% (2) | It's important | |
| 72% (13) | It's a nice thing, but not exactly important | |
| 5% (1) | It's totally unnecessary |
18 voters have answered this question.
How important is it that a husband and wife share the same political views?
| 11% (2) | It's absolutely necessary | |
|---|---|---|
| 16% (3) | It's very important | |
| 38% (7) | It's important | |
| 22% (4) | It's a nice thing and helps to avoid arguments, but it's not exactly important | |
| 11% (2) | It's totally unnecessary |
18 voters have answered this question.
Should married couples still go out on "dates" on a regular basis?
| 27% (5) | Yes, it helps maintain intimacy and romance, and dates should occur frequently and on a regular basis | |
|---|---|---|
| 55% (10) | Yes, though there doesn't need to be a certain frequency to them, as long as a couple just goes out whenever they feel like it | |
| 5% (1) | It's a nice thing to do from time to time, but it's generally unnecessary since dates are something primarily for the unmarried | |
| 11% (2) | It's totally unnecessary because the couple is already committed in marriage, so dates serve no purpose |
18 voters have answered this question.
In a lot of marriages, small acts of physical affection such as kissing and hugging often occur less frequently over time. Sometimes, a couple may reach a point where these acts occur very rarely and only on special occasions or perhaps never at all. Should married couples make an effort to do these small acts of affection on a regular basis, no matter how long they've been together?
| 72% (13) | Yes, this type of affection is important and should not be neglected | |
|---|---|---|
| 22% (4) | Maybe, because it's a nice thing to do in order to be sweet or romantic sometimes, but it shouldn't become too common or it might feel less special | |
| 5% (1) | No, it's natural for a couple to feel like they don't need to share this type of affection anymore as time passes, and that's okay |
18 voters have answered this question.
Do you believe it is important that a husband and wife sleep in the same bed?
| 44% (8) | Yes, no matter what | |
|---|---|---|
| 38% (7) | Yes, as long as there are no health issues that stand in the way of it | |
| 16% (3) | No, it's unnecessary |
18 voters have answered this question.
Should a married couple wear their wedding rings all the time, even when home alone?
| 44% (8) | They should wear them all the time | |
|---|---|---|
| 33% (6) | They may remove them when sleeping | |
| 38% (7) | They may remove them when showering/bathing | |
| 50% (9) | They may remove them during chores or activities that could negatively affect the ring | |
| 22% (4) | They may remove them any time while at home | |
| 11% (2) | They never need to wear them at all, even when out in public |
18 voters have answered this question.
If a spouse desires privacy while in the bathroom, or while doing activities related to personal hygiene such as shaving or skin/nail care, is this a sign of an unhealthy relationship?
| 22% (4) | Yes, definitely, because spouses should never require privacy from each other | |
|---|---|---|
| 22% (4) | Yes, most of the time, though in a select few circumstances the desire for privacy is normal and not indicative of a bad relationship | |
| 27% (5) | Maybe, but it really depends on the attitude of each spouse and why the privacy is desired in the first place | |
| 27% (5) | No, desire for privacy in regards to personal bodily functions or hygiene is normal even after marriage and is never a sign of anything being wrong with the relationship |
18 voters have answered this question.
If a married couple is home alone and one spouse still desires to be modest when it comes to either clothing or behavior, is this a sign of an unhealthy relationship?
| 44% (8) | A desire to dress modestly at home is totally unnecessary and a sign of an unhealthy marriage | |
|---|---|---|
| 44% (8) | A desire to behave modestly at home is totally unnecessary and a sign of an unhealthy marriage | |
| 50% (9) | A desire to dress modestly at home is understandable and acceptable, and not necessarily a sign of an unhealthy marriage | |
| 16% (3) | A desire to behave modestly at home is understandable and acceptable, and not necessarily a sign of an unhealthy marriage |
18 voters have answered this question.
When spouses are together and somewhere private, and both are healthy and not feeling ill or abnormal in any way, is it acceptable for one spouse to reject physical affection from the other for any reason?
| 33% (6) | Yes, if one spouse is not "in the mood" then he/she can reject affection | |
|---|---|---|
| 50% (9) | Yes, if one spouse is busy with a task or otherwise distracted mentally, then he/she can reject affection | |
| 44% (8) | Yes, if one spouse is angry or annoyed at the other, then he/she can reject affection | |
| 27% (5) | No, generally speaking there isn't a good reason to reject affection outside of illness, though perhaps a specific circumstance could arise that would make it acceptable | |
| 16% (3) | No, it's simply not acceptable for one spouse to reject affection from the other in private |
18 voters have answered this question.
If one spouse maintains a healthy and fit body while the other spouse gains weight and lives an unhealthy lifestyle, do you believe this is a sign that the unhealthy spouse is somehow dissatisfied with the marriage?
| 16% (3) | Yes, it's indicative that he/she doesn't care about remaining attractive to the other person, and that's a bad sign | |
|---|---|---|
| 38% (7) | It's potentially a sign of depression or unhappiness for the person to allow himself/herself to become unhealthy, but not necessarily a sign of a bad relationship | |
| 27% (5) | No, gaining weight or neglecting exercise can occur quite often without any bad underlying reasons other than laziness | |
| 16% (3) | Other (please explain) |
18 voters have answered this question.
If one spouse requests that the other maintain their hairstyle, body hair, nails, makeup, or other aspects of his/her physical appearance in a certain way, is this a reasonable request that should be honored?
| 0% (0) | Yes, each spouse should maintain his/her body and appearance exactly how the other likes | |
|---|---|---|
| 50% (9) | Yes, a wife should maintain her body and appearance exactly how her husband likes | |
| 5% (1) | Yes, a husband should maintain his body and appearance exactly how his wife likes | |
| 27% (5) | Yes, each spouse should honor such a request, though anything too extreme or odd does not need to be done | |
| 16% (3) | Yes, a wife should honor such a request, though anything too extreme or odd does not need to be done | |
| 27% (5) | Yes, a husband should honor such a request, though anything too extreme or odd does not need to be done | |
| 16% (3) | No, such decisions are generally personal and should not be decided by the other spouse |
18 voters have answered this question.
Studies have shown that arranged marriages, which typically involve two families agreeing to have a member of each family marry each other, are generally successful and have lower divorce rates than normal marriage despite the fact that the husband and wife did not marry "for love". Why do you think this is?
| 44% (8) | Couples in arranged marriages treat their marriage as a formal arrangement or contract and they do not have an expectation to constantly feel "in love" with each other, thus resulting in less of a reason to divorce | |
|---|---|---|
| 38% (7) | Couples in arranged marriages are likely forced to remain together through pressure from family or their culture, and if those pressures did not exist then it is likely they would divorce just as often as anyone else | |
| 16% (3) | Other (please explain) |
18 voters have answered this question.
What is your opinion on the practice of Mail-Order Brides, which involves a woman being purchased as a bride and the money typically going to her family while she moves to another country and is married to the buyer?
| 16% (3) | It's acceptable if the woman's family agrees to the arrangement | |
|---|---|---|
| 22% (4) | It's acceptable if the woman herself agrees to the arrangement | |
| 33% (6) | It's acceptable but generally a bad idea and is unlikely to result in a happy marriage | |
| 22% (4) | It's not acceptable and it should not occur | |
| 5% (1) | It's not acceptable and it should be considered a crime |
18 voters have answered this question.
How do you feel about the concept of an "open marriage" in which each spouse is allowed to engage in relationships and intimacy with persons other than his/her spouse?
| 27% (5) | It's acceptable and there's nothing wrong with it if each spouse wants to live that way | |
|---|---|---|
| 16% (3) | It's acceptable, but I don't personally like it | |
| 16% (3) | It's a bad idea and will likely destroy their marriage in the long-run | |
| 38% (7) | It's not a real marriage, because marriage involves loyalty, commitment, and exclusivity, so an "open marriage" that features each spouse committing adultery is absurd and shouldn't even be a lifestyle that exists |
18 voters have answered this question.
What, if anything, do you believe would be a morally justifiable reason for divorce?
| 83% (15) | Adultery/Cheating | |
|---|---|---|
| 100% (18) | Physical abuse | |
| 77% (14) | Emotional abuse | |
| 55% (10) | One spouse permanently refusing intimacy | |
| 27% (5) | Holding "incompatible" beliefs about major issues in life | |
| 27% (5) | Constant arguing and/or disrespect | |
| 33% (6) | One spouse's mental health problems | |
| 16% (3) | One spouse's physical health problems | |
| 16% (3) | No longer feeling "in love" with each other | |
| 22% (4) | No longer feeling happy together | |
| 11% (2) | Other (please specify) | |
| 0% (0) | None of the above |
18 voters have answered this question.
In the United States, many states have what is called "No-Fault Divorce" laws. These laws allow one spouse to initiate a divorce for any reason, even for something as vague as "irreconcilable differences". However, even in these states it is still very common for a man to be required to pay his ex-wife alimony after the split even if she was the one who initiated the divorce. Likewise, custody of children is typically awarded to the woman regardless of if she is financially or emotionally the best parent for the role. Because of these facts, men sometimes want their girlfriends to agree to sign a pre-nuptial agreement before marriage, which is a separate contract that details exactly what each spouse will get in the event of a divorce and attempts to do so in a way that is more fair than the normal laws. How do you feel about pre-nuptial agreements?
| 66% (12) | They can be unfortunately necessary, because the laws in certain places do not treat spouses fairly during the divorce process and marriage without such an agreement is extremely risky | |
|---|---|---|
| 16% (3) | They are a sign of distrust when one spouse wants to have one, because they show that there is a fear or expectation of a potential divorce and that should not be a consideration when getting married | |
| 16% (3) | Other (please explain) |
18 voters have answered this question.
The national divorce rate in the United States is over 60% according to numerous studies, and religious affiliation does not change this statistic. Furthermore, 70% of these divorces are initiated by women and that number jumps to a staggering 90% when the women are college-educated. Why do you believe this is the case? What would help to improve these numbers?
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7 voters have answered this question.
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3 voters have answered this question.
