Bastards all?

[Rum]

Is there any point any longer in getting married to have kids? Is it OK for them all to be born 'out of wedlock'?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Is there any point any longer in getting married to have kids? Is it OK for them all to be born 'out of wedlock'?

What kind of society?

[Rum]

Is there any point any longer in getting married to have kids? Is it OK for them all to be born 'out of wedlock'?

What kind of society?

Not sure I understand the point. Assuming you mean 'into what sort of society'? - let's assume the countries most represented here. I would be interested on the angle from some of the less well represented countries too - Vietnam for example.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Is there any point any longer in getting married to have kids? Is it OK for them all to be born 'out of wedlock'?

What kind of society?

Not sure I understand the point. Assuming you mean 'into what sort of society'? - let's assume the countries most represented here. I would be interested on the angle from some of the less well represented countries too - Vietnam for example.

The type of society a bastard is born into matters. Puritan societies would give a bastard a tough life. "Progressive" societies would be kinder, perhaps to the point where they didn't notice at all. I know of no current exclusionary legislation regarding "out-of-wedlock" born people in the US. But in the '50s if the child wasn't acknowledged by the father, directly or via the courts, that child couldn't inherit.

On a side note, does everybody know about Hitler's father? That's a strange tale.

[floppit]

I couldn't give a rats bahooey if folk are married, far more important is whether they've thought about the commitment involved to a kid and at least done their best the judge wisely BEFORE bonking with no welly on!

Personally I've always thought both parents should be both willing and still eager to care for their child alone if need be, but also both committed to care for the same child together. Kind of like a bog standard joint mortgage where each borrower is 100% responsible for the debt, but both understand that meeting it will require them to work together.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

The coat of arms for a person in medieval Europe could include the "bar sinister", a diagonal stripe from upper left to lower right. This indicated he was a bastard, with the coats of arms of both families shown in the halves of the design.

[Thinking Aloud]

Is there any point any longer in getting married to have kids? Is it OK for them all to be born 'out of wedlock'?

You can consider "marriage" as a description of an arrangement between two people, usually signifying (in the case of having kids) a commitment from the male to continue to support his mate and provide for their offspring as they mature. Over time it has gained legal, sacred, and moral meaning, but ultimately it makes no difference to the act of reproduction and support of progeny.

Of course, we've extended the use of marriage beyond simply having kids and applied it to significant, loving friendships between adults, irrespective of the desire or ability to have kids.

[Sisifo]

Is there any point any longer in getting married to have kids? Is it OK for them all to be born 'out of wedlock'?

There are two issues here: Bastardy, as the father not being married to the mother (which doesn't mean that the mother is not married already) and single parenthood.

The first one has been bypassed easily by all societies: As Gawdzilla pointed out, you could be a noble bastard (although the term was bend sinister, or baton sinister; the "bar sinister" is a malapropism). Not only that; it was usual that pregnant women had to marry with anyone, but the child had to be born within a married couple, father or not. So really, the bastardy was never an issue of society; it was a dishonor for the legal father, but could be justified easily.

The big issue was, and still is, about single parenthood. Traditional societies have still not bigger stigma. And even in modern societies I find it to be singularly accepted, but not in principle. As in "you are so brave to raise your child alone", but at the same time, not supporting single parent adoptions, or gay couples adoption.

[JimC]

Pragmatically, raising kids is a hell of a lot easier with a team of 2 rather than just one.

No moral implications from me, just I am very glad I was part of a team...

[Animavore]

My 3 nieces are all born out of wedlock and with the price of weddings these days it looks like its going to stay that way.

Shower of bastards

[JimC]

My 3 nieces are all born out of wedlock and with the price of weddings these days it looks like its going to stay that way.

Shower of bastards

The "out of wedlock" matters far less in practical terms compared to whether there are 2 people to share the load (which could just as well be gay couples anyway...)

[Clinton Huxley]

Being born out of wedlock never did any member of the Aussie Test cricket team any harm.

[JimC]

Being born out of wedlock never did any member of the Aussie Test cricket team any harm.

Hungry bastards, the lot of 'em... :twisted:

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I know it's no hindrance to becoming a commissioned officer. (In most cases, anyway.)

[RuleBritannia]

My 3 nieces are all born out of wedlock and with the price of weddings these days it looks like its going to stay that way.

Shower of bastards

Wedding's cost as much as you want them to cost, fuck the guests, you don't need to buy them all dinner, you don't need some fancy hotel or church.