So, just because she's pregnant and not married automatically means family counselling? So what, a marriage automatically makes things perfect? Right. *eyeroll*

#25 - Not necessarily... for both of your questions. If they decide to break up (which is likely, considering they're not serious enough about their commitment for the state to recognize it), chances are that it would get nasty, since they have no legal backing or way to split things evenly (if the break-up is an angry one (if it's mutual and peaceful, there's no real problem with the legal issues and divisions of property, kids, money, etc. (that I can see))). And since they're not too serious about their relationship, their family might have more issues than a mature, adult, married couple with children. Of course, as you said, there are always innumerable married couples who have problems and families that need counseling as well.

*sigh* trust me, the child is just as likely to need counseling if they're raised in a crappy marriage. Why do people think that marriage is the only way to function?

#36 - I totally agree (about the chances of needing counseling if the kid's raised in a bad marriage). I don't think marriage is the ONLY way to function (some people still do, though, of course), but it is considered a safer (legally) and more serious way to show commitment. It was considered the 'norm' back in the day. ;)

You know you people are really messed up and or naive because I was raised in a family where my parents were married, and frankly I wish they would have divorced way before I was an adult or never married at all---they were miserable, and since the divorce my mom has come so far...I couldn't be prouder of her with her SINGLE MOTHER status. She practically raised us on her own even with him there, she shielded us from a whole lot of the shit he put her through. Sometimes marriage isn't the answer...people DEFIANTLY should NOT get married just because of a baby---that's not what a marriage should be based on at all. There is also the fact that birth control isn't 100% fool proof...my daughter, myself and my brother are all birth control conceptions...so I don't tell me u can't get pregnant on birth control.

@ #109: Who said you cannot get pregnant on birth control? I wasn't aware that was part of the conversation above your comment. Everyone knows that the only fool-proof method of birth control is abstinence. And anal (just kidding!). And if you actually bothered to read the poster's clarification of what he/she meant, maybe you could've saved everyone's time and not gone on that lame tirade.

Agreed. This is the problem with America, at least, today. Marriage is just a disposable thing to most people of our generation. When did marriage become stupid or a burden? Maybe if people took some time to actually get to know their spouses before getting married to them marriages would last longer. Marriage should be a wonderful thing; committing your life fully to the person who one believes is his/her soulmate. I think it's beautiful. However, it has become so commonplace for young adults my age to just go around sleeping with anything with a pulse. It really is sad. And everyone yelling at people who think she's a **** for being pregnant and not married is, in reality, right. It does make her a ***** in everyone's eyes. I have friends who have children and are my age and I don't want to associate with them because people will believe I'm that kind of girl as well. The OP should suck it up and should have known that was how people would react. Get over it, OP.

Why is a marriage required for a lifelong commitment? It makes her a ***** in "everyone's" eyes? Am I no one? If your friendships mean so little to you that you don't want to associate with your friends because of how people will look at you, your friends are probably better off without you. Particularly given that the number of people who will actually look at you, or even them, differently isn't a huge number, and it shrinks every day.