an_old_friend wrote:


Why? The notion of formal marriage is a fairly recent religious invention,
perhaps less than 5,000 years old. Many historic civilizations got along just
fine without it.

as do some modern ones like in Iceland, and other Nordic countries
nobody thinks much about young girls having babies before they get
married (and not always by the fellow they marry either)

If they marry at all, 60% of children in Iceland are born outside of
marriage.
That does not mean that they are the products of broken homes or broken
families (or teenage mothers), what it means is that Icelandic couples
tend to do things in the order: meet and then have kids while at the
same time finishing their education, buying their first home (and a
couple of cars) and then later they probably marry. If they get around
to it, I know a few couples that have been together for years (more
than 20 in a couple of cases), had a bunch of kids and generally lived
their life, without ever marrying.