It's one I was taught as a child. You don't need to be married to love someone. Mores have changed so much in my lifetime that the "stigma" of "shacking up" is gone. Moreover, the stigma of having "illegitimate children" is also largely gone. One could argue that there is no longer any reason for marriage at all. There are far easier methods of achieving visitation rights, end-of-life decision making authority, and so on without marrying.
(Aside: "Illegitimate children" is an interesting phrase, don't you think? Illegitimate means lacking legality. How are children born "legally?" They're parents are married at the time of their birth, of course. Does this not suggest further that my definition of marriage was, at least at one time, the prevailing understanding?)
You say my narrow definition doesn't match the wider societal definition. That may or may not be true. I do not have (and have not researched) how many married couples capable of producing children do so, but I'd guess that is the most common result. In any case, the meaning of the term has now evolved into a term that ambiguously defines multiple sorts of relationships. In the end, all we've really lost is precision in describing legal relationships.
Edit: I hasten to point out that my definition of marriage does absolutely not preclude love. It's not possible for me to imagine coming to the decision that you want to bear and raise children with a person whom you do not love.
(Aside: "Illegitimate children" is an interesting phrase, don't you think? Illegitimate means lacking legality. How are children born "legally?" They're parents are married at the time of their birth, of course. Does this not suggest further that my definition of marriage was, at least at one time, the prevailing understanding?)
You say my narrow definition doesn't match the wider societal definition. That may or may not be true. I do not have (and have not researched) how many married couples capable of producing children do so, but I'd guess that is the most common result. In any case, the meaning of the term has now evolved into a term that ambiguously defines multiple sorts of relationships. In the end, all we've really lost is precision in describing legal relationships.
Edit: I hasten to point out that my definition of marriage does absolutely not preclude love. It's not possible for me to imagine coming to the decision that you want to bear and raise children with a person whom you do not love.