NSW Couples Turn Away from Religious Wedding Ceremonies

[The Irreverent Mr Black]

(nicked from a religious news source)
NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages figures show that celebrants performed 60.6 percent of ceremonies in 2008, compared to 39.4 percent for religious weddings.

The figures show that couples are shunning religious wedding ceremonies in record numbers and going down the civil path to marriage to gain control and avoid pre-marital counselling, the Sunday Telegraph says.

Religious weddings outnumbered civil ceremonies until 2001 when they reached a 50-50 split.

The number of civil marriages has steadily risen to hit a high last year, the paper says.

Social researchers say the trend is driven by second and subsequent marriages, older brides and grooms, along with the decline of religious observance in Australia and couples' desire for greater freedom in designing their ceremony.

"Most churches have a reasonably non-negotiable policy of having to have some pre-marriage counselling or be involved in some sort of premarital course," demographer Mark McCrindle said. "In a commitment free era that is one of the limitations."

[davo]

So, when is the tax breaks (ie: no tax) on profits religious folk get from performing marriage services going to be removed?

civil celebrants aren't afforded these tax breaks, as they aren't employed by a fairy.

[TimB]

Good to hear church weddings are on the decline - marriage has got nought to do with religion. It's about the couple not the church.

I got married 10 years ago in a church - just going with the flow - I was still a firm non-believer back then. With the benefit of a few years and the development of a more caring attidude about the role of religion in our society I WISH I'D GOT HITCHED UP ON A HILL UNDER A GUM TREE OR SOMETHING INSTEAD OF IN A BLOODY CHURCH.

Been to lots of friend weddings with celebrants - they are always much better than the church weddings.

[Ozziebloke]

I got married in church simply to keep family happy.
It was pretty casual really, the old lutheran pastor who did the deed didn't try to preach to us or anything like that & he even came & had a beer with us at the reception.

If I get married a 2nd time I reckon I'll do it in a civil ceremony in a garden or out bush or somewhere outdoorsy & nice.

[eclectic]

The figures show that couples are shunning religious wedding ceremonies in record numbers and going down the civil path to marriage to gain control and avoid pre-marital counselling, the Sunday Telegraph says.


I'm not having a civil ceremony for these reasons! I'm having a civil ceremony because having an imaginary man or his worshippers involved in my promises to my wonderful man would be appalling to me. I'm actually an advocate of secular pre-marital counselling (obviously not the religious kind) so I don't like their argument here. It's another example of religious-types arguing that secularism is about immorality. Not that marriage is a moral issue... but, well, I'm taking my getting married seriously, but a religiousy person probably wouldn't think that's true.