Cohabitation

Cohabitation

• Cohabitation - couples who live together without being married. Couples who cohabit might argue that their bond is just as strong as couples who are married.

Why would couples choose to cohabit?

• Weddings are too expensive
• Couples may not be ready for the commitment
• Divorce rates are high
• They don't feel that marriage is necessary
• It is easier to split up
• To avoid the problems of getting divorced
• It may strengthen the relationship

Cohabitation is wrong

• Why might some people think this?
• They may believe that sex before marriage is wrong and that it is more likely with cohabitation
• Marriage usually ensures commitment
• Cohabitating may not mean that you're committed to the relationship
• Marriage is believed to be God-given

Cohabitation is right

• Why would some people have this opinion?
• It may help to strengthen a relationship
• Divorce rates may be lower as a result of cohabitation
• Marriage is too expensive
• You get to know the person better. this ensures that you know you'd like to spend a lot of time with them
• Marriage is just a piece of paper and doesn't make a couple more committed to each other

Past Paper question practise

• "Marriage is out of date; everyone should just live together today"
• Give two reasons why a religious believer may agree or disagree with this statement [4]
• Example:
• A religious believer may agree with this statement as living together would probably improve the relationship, thus creating a longer and happier relationship. They may also agree because just living together would certainly lower divorce rates, and all religions dislike the idea of divorce, even if they allow it.
• However, they may disagree because living together as a couple would very likely mean sex before marriage. Most, if not all, religions disagree with the idea of sex before marriage and cohabitation promotes that. Religious believers also feel that marriage is God-given so it undermines God's plan for the relationship to not marry. Just cohabitating may not even ensure a committed relationship, and marriage usually does.