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Secular approach to marriage and some of the views that have evolved in relation to traditional and Christian practices

Answer Text:
Secular approach to marriage
After examining the traditional African understanding and the Christian teaching on marriage, today it is common to find young people choosing to live together by following neither the traditional African practice nor the Church’s
teaching. This is what we consider to be secular approach to marriage today.
The following are some of the views that have evolved in relation to traditional and Christian practices:
-In traditional African communities, once a marriage has been formalized, it is extremely difficult to dissolve it.
However, today cases of separations and divorce have risen.
-In traditional African communities, the more children a marriage has, the more blessed it is considered to be but today, many married couples prefer few children due to economic and social factors.
-In traditional African communities inter-ethnic marriages are rare but today this practice is common because of migration, and interaction in schools, colleges, work place and churches.
-While churches encourage the Christian youth to marry in church, today some Christians shun church weddings and instead opt for civil marriages.
-Whereas in African communities marriage is a rhythm of life through which everyone must undergo today some people decide not to marry for personal or social reasons.
-Procreation as a purpose for marriage is more emphasized in traditional
African communities than in modern society where a marriage is considered complete even without children. Some people also opt to have children without getting married.
-Polygamy which is strongly emphasized in traditional African marriage is shunned today and instead monogamy has gained
grounds for economic and religious reasons.
-In traditional African marriage, a husband is the head of family, but in modern society the husband and the wife are equal partners in the marriage. This change in attitudes has been influenced by factors such as women’s liberations movement which advocates for gender equity and equality.
-The choosing of a marriage partner which is a collective responsibility in traditional African communities has now become an individual affair. This is because of the breakdown of the extended family structure and the development of individualism.
-The traditional African value attached to bride-wealth which is social and religious has been eroded. Today, too much economic emphasis is attached to bride-wealth. It has been commercialized and is negotiated in reference to factors such as the educational level of the girl and the kind of career or job she is pursuing. In some
cases bride-wealth is not demanded at all.
-The traditional African qualities considered in a prospective bride and groom such as industrial, honesty, hospitality, kindness, strength and health do not feature prominently in the choice of a marriage partner today. On the contrary, qualities that are emphasized are external beauty, financial and social status of the prospective groom.