Don't you think it's strange that we need license to do many things in this society but no license requires to marry or to be a parent? No wonder 50 percent of all marriages end in divorce - So why not require a mandatory license to wed? I have thought about it, since I have been married and specially when I became a mom. I realized how much I did not know about raising a child and here I was, a parent, in charge of raising a human being. I have not yet seen the movie "license to Wed", but I am glad it is a movie about this same issue and I am excited that Robin Williams is playing in it. He picks the best, thought provoking, themes to play.
Then, I read an article in WSJ today covering this subject again and apparently pre-marriage counseling in the Catholic church is mandatory and many other denominations are offering similar services now. How wonderful! Even Muslim community in America is looking into this issue. Christian Whelan, has this to say in her WSJ article:
"Within the Muslim community, formal marriage preparation is practically nonexistent, according to Munira Ezzeldine, author of "Before the Wedding: 150 Questions for Muslims to Ask Before Getting Married." Traditionally, a marriage was arranged by the parents, and while the young couple would get to know each other well only after the fact, close family ties and community networks held most couples together for life. Today, as those networks loosen and second- and third-generation American Muslims become culturally assimilated, divorce rates are on the rise. Ms. Ezzeldine is working with imams nationwide to encourage premarital investigations. "Marriage is not always easy and it's OK to talk about it in advance."It's great to see this subject being discussed, it's vitally important to have a healthy marriage in order to raise a "mentally healthy" generation!
