Musings on Matrimony

I just heard on the radio that there were more divorces in Wisconsin last year than there were marriages. So what exactly does that say? I'm not sure, but I've been thinking about marriage in the context of some of the movies I've seen and the books I've read recently. I don't really have any enlightening insight, just some random observations.

In the movie Revolutionary Road Leonardo DiCaprio's character lives in a suburb and commutes to the city for his job. While in the city he carries on an affair with his secretary. So cliche, right? But it must have happened often enough for it to become cliche.

It may be difficult enough to get over the fact that your husband finds you so inadequate that he goes outside of the marriage, but what if he brought the other woman into your home to live and the relationship was out in the open?

Enter the concubine which used to be a common practice in Chinese culture. Marriages were arranged and the wives were expected to produce sons. Concubines may have joined the household if the wife did not give the husband what he wanted. In some cases the wife may have selected a concubine so she would at least have some control over who entered their household.

If you think that's an antiquated notion, look no further than the FDLS in Arizona where polygamist men have been accused of taking teenage brides. The wives and their children live together in compounds and it appears that the only education they get is dictated by the men.
Seems like a good deal for the guys. The women say they are doing God's will.

Since we're on the subject of God, it brings up the definition of marriage. Should it be defined exclusively between a man and a woman? If there is supposed to be a separation between church and state, is it fair to use a biblical definition of marriage to create law? Who ultimately gets to decide?

I surely don't have any answers. These are merely my musings.