That's a shame that your boyfriend is interested in marriage but you aren't, it would be very sad to have to end a good relationship over that. Your situation is harder to deal with than OP's.

I'm just really curious... But why don't you want to get married?

#70 Marriage is a load of B.S. It is a huge waste of money for a slip of paper that says, "Congradualtions, you're married". The only good thing it brings is lower taxes.

If you're together long enough for common law, you can jointly file in many jurisdictions. The only reason I'd ever consider getting married right now is to fast-track my Canadian Citizenship application.

Marriage is one of the biggest commitments you can make, it's not just a piece of paper. People are more likely to work through their problems if they're married vs just living together. It also gives you legal rights when it comes to medical decisions regarding your spouse. And before anyone says "50% divorce rate" I'd like to point out that the highest divorce rate was in the 1970's and it's been on the decline since. If current trends continue, 2/3 of marriages will be successful.

Nobody said marriage had to be a big deal... If it's not to you then it doesn't have to be a 30000$ wedding, but it sucks that some people aren't willing to compromise with their bf/gf

But a lot of people don't feel the need to be in a marriage to prove their dedication. Some people work better knowing they can just walk away, takes all the pressure off the relationship.

It's simple: choosing to marry is fine, big or small event. Choosing to not marry is also fine. When it conflicts that can be hard. Though it can't be said enough: DONT go into a relationship expecting them to change a life decision. If they do, great, but it's wrong to expect them to change to fit your decision or try to push them to. Compromise is good, but some won't want to. This applies to many things. I don't know if that's what happened here with the boyfriend expecting her to change or what but just putting it out there.

Marriage is literally just a piece of paper. Some people actually feel more like a husband/wife and more committed to each other without that piece of paper and feel they don't need it.

well, not literally just a piece of paper, you also get legal benefits from being married

How stupid are you?

Marriage isn't always just a paper, it depends on certain things, it also depends on who you ask

No, it's not just a piece of paper. It's a vow of commitment. If you're not wed, then you are not committed 100%. People are more likely fro work through hurdles if they're married.

83, what about religion involves in marriage people who believe that marriage is the joining of two people to become one. Dont you think they might think its more than a piece of paper?

Oh, let's see. There's the expense if you eventually get divorced. There's the pressure on women to change their names even when they have very good reasons for not wanting to. There's the pressure to have a big wedding which leads to huge costs up front even if neither member of the couple wants one. There's the fact that for some of us, it's impossible to overlook marriage's origins as a religiously endorsed way of oppressing women. Obviously this is a totally subjective list and marriage means something different and better to a lot of people, and more power to those that are into it, but those are a few reasons I personally refuse to get married.

I think the expense of getting divorced leads to couples trying to salvage their relationships more than if they were just dating. If you're dating you can just pick up the phone and end it whenever you want. I'm an atheist and we paid $65 each for a courthouse wedding. I didn't change my name until we had our first son, it felt more like a family.