SAC - Wk122 - Is Cohabiting Called Marriage?

Hi everyone! I greet you specially from the Southern part of Nigeria. I was excited when I saw this contest topic. It's so captivating and of course, interesting. Thank you @steem4nigeria for such a topic so I can post my entry. I am here to give you an insight into this topic based on my experience. Please stay tuned and read my post.

There is no gain-saying in the fact that cohabitating has been a long issue, especially among the unmarried. Most people involved in this arrangement for different reasons. Whatever the reasons for this illegal relationship, the negative consequences is believed to outweigh the positive. Is cohabitation a marriage? This shall be answered in the course of this post.

^{married couple}

Of course, the answer is capital no. Every culture has a kind of a bride price that a man pays to the family of the bride before claiming to have married the woman. Even in the legal world, there is a certain amount paid to authenticate marriage. Any marriage, whether the children are involved or not, without the bride price, cannot be called marriage in a legal sense. They can only be recognized as couple when they have fulfilled marital rights , which one of them is the payment of bride price.

Cohabitating, by definition, is an arrangement where two people who are not married, live together as a couple. They may involve in a romantic relationship in a long or short time. Marriage in the other way, is the a legal arrangement between a man and a woman to become husband and wife. From these definitions, it is seen that cohabiting is never equated with marriage.

In my own view, cohabiting is culturally and legally illegal. It could be a short cut to some but that marriage has question signs. It negates the very essence of marriage. A lot of people may see it as a short cut to getting married, anyway. However, this arrangement does not represent marriage in any form. No matter how short cut it may be, the evils of it are better not experienced. It is often said that short cut is often a wrong cut.

I could recall vividly a scenerio in my former neighborhood where my former co-tenant had a very serious fight with a lady he cohabitated with, about six years ago. A fight broke out one day when another lady who claimed she had gotten two children for him in his village came visiting him in the city. It involved a police case and was deathly but not for the intervention of the police. Therefore, cohabitating could be deceptive and cannot be equated with marriage.

^{married couple}

Advantages of Cohabiting
Every coin has two sides. The advantages of cohabiting could be the following.

1. If done with understanding, it can afford the two people an opportunity to study one another's behavior before marriage.

2. It helps the people to rehearse for actual marriage.

3. They can pull their resources together for a better future planning.

4. They could be of help to one another when financial, social or emotional needs arise.

Disadvantages of Cohabiting
Disadvantages of cohabiting by far outweigh its advantages.

1. There is a high risk violence involved since the two people are not recognized legally as married couple.

2. There is also a high chance of infidelity associated with cohabiting.

3. There is also dispute in terms of how to manage finance.

4. Most people who cohabitate are not happy, mostly because of emotional challenges.

5. There is no legal protecti of the relationship because the families of those involved may not give their consent.

The answer is no. Premarital sex is abhoured by almost every religion. It is against the law of the Almighty God. Testing a would be partner before marriage is a sign of immaturity and irresponsibility. Sex after marriage sometimes results in heart break and emotional trauma. Cohabiting is a common practice in modern relationship.. Irrespective of how colourful it looks like, the result is always dangerous. The emotional trauma that accompanies it can only be imagined. Therefore, I do not support cohabiting.

Thank you for reading my entry. Have a nice weekend

I want to invite @destinedhanik, @tempestinyang and @nsisong2020 to join to take part in this contest.