Samael_Khan
Goosebender
I was speaking of how the Bible sees marriage, not if people follow through with it or not.I believe there are two problems with that:
1. One does not always know that the person he/she has sex with will agree to marry
There is a reason why sex "consummates" a marriage. It completes it. Therefore in the OT, and I think ancient middle eastern culture, not consummating a marriage with sex means that the marriage isn't valid. The becoming of "one flesh" means that two people are married.2. There is a benefit for doing things at the most propitious time. Sex before the marriage ceremony robs the event of its most important significance that is that the two are married.