Sacrament or Civil Union: American Marriage
For the better half of history, marriage was intrinsically tied to religion. From as early as the 8th century, marriage was recognized as a sacrament by the Catholic church. For many centuries, it was necessary to get a blessing from a priest in order to have a legally binding marriage. Additionally, in many religious traditions, arranged marriages were customary. Still today, there are many wedding traditions that have their origins in religion. But as time has passed, marriage in America has grown increasingly secular. The desire to distance marriage from religion has been steadily growing throughout the history of the United States.