Quote: Harridan @ December 11 2012, 9:58 PM GMTActually, for the majority of history it has not been a religious institution. Even in mediaeval Christian societies most people got married by deciding that they were married and then informed the church because the church kept the records.
Yep and then both the Church and State stepped in and said 'stop messing about'. You don't have a right to get married and if you do, then it has to officiated by us.