The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #77674 Message #1388423
Posted By: George Papavgeris
25-Jan-05 - 04:41 PM
Thread Name: BS: High Court Rules In Terry Schiavo Case
Subject: RE: BS: High Court Rules In Terry Schiavo Case
Kevin,
the irreversibility of the relationship (marriage v parenthood) is not the criterion used when it comes to which relationship supercedes the other. This is so in most European law (UK too, I believe) and in the US. I suspect it was driven by the Christian religion's statements on this (I don't know whether other religions have a definite view on the subject). In the Orthodox marriage ceremony, the priest actually instructs the couple "to leave their mother and father and go forth and become a unit".
It makes sense in the context of the need to propagate, to develop, to move on. It is reflected in inheritance law, where the spouse and children inherit, not the parents.
Parenthood is for ever, but we do need to cut the strings some time and let the child move on and have new, higher priorities than the welfare of the parents. And the reverse also.