Social anthropologists have long studied the culture of marriage in various
tribes in the remotes of Amazon forest. Such tribes as the Marrying Tribe, due
to their limited population have traditions where a woman marries multiple men
at the same time in order to keep the gene pool as diverse as possible. This
culture is in contrast to many other tribes where monogamous relationships are
practiced and a woman and a man marry for life.
The cultures and practices of these tribes well demonstrate that marriage in
the form that is currently practiced in other parts of the world, in the presence
of established religions, is quite common in the absence of such religious influences.
Without any religious teachings or such defined concepts as "sin"
practices that are in place are no different than our way of thinking.
These findings should make us wonder as to how we think of marriage or the
bonding between two individuals in the society?
Is marriage a religious institution or a social institution? The answer could
have many ramifications in how we exercise this very basic concept that is being taken
so much for granted in our societies.
We will discuss and build on this petition in the weeks to follow, but let
us start with a simple fundamental question for now?
Is Marriage a religious institution / practice?
- YES: Marriage is a Religious institution.
- NO: Marriage is a Social institution.
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