Is Marriage Still Important?

How many of you out there believe marriage is still an important part of any long-term relationship? Can a relationship honestly last forever without a couple eventually getting married? And if not, why do you think that is? Does it have something to do with the feeling of contractual obligation that signing the marriage certificate brings? Or is it something else that keeps couples together regardless of their marriage status? What do you think?

Let me start by saying that, yes I am single, and yes I have never been married, but I still believe marriage is an important part of creating a healthy long-term relationship. To me marriage is about making the ultimate commitment to each other vowing to stay together for the good times and always work through the bad times no matter what it takes.

Don’t get me wrong, I believe relationships can last a long time without ever taking the next step to marriage, but I just don’t know if they can last forever. I say this because of personal experience. I was fortunate enough to have a wonderful relationship with a great woman that lasted over 9 years. I wanted to get married, but she always felt that we did not need that to make the relationship last. Needless to say, eventually she let the relationship fall apart no matter how hard I tried and we went our separate ways. I don’t know if getting married would have kept us together or not, but part of me will always wonder.

So what is your take on marriage? Is it just an obsolete institution from the past, a religious requirement, or something else?

All thoughts and comments are welcome!