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Covenant marriage is a legally distinct kind of marriage in three states (Arizona, Arkansas, and Louisiana) of the United States, in which the marrying spouses agree to obtain pre-marital counseling and accept more limited grounds for later seeking divorce. Both proponents and critics of covenant marriage have described it as government inviting religion into the public square. Louisiana became the first state to pass a covenant marriage law in 1997;〔(【引用サイトリンク】work= Lafayette Parrish Clerk of the Court, 15th Judicial District of Louisiana )〕 shortly afterwards, Arkansas and Arizona followed suit. Since its inception, very few couples in those states have married under covenant marriage law. Prior to entering into a covenant marriage, a couple must attend premarital counseling sessions "emphasizing the nature, purposes, and responsibilities of marriage"〔Arkansas Code Annotated § 9-11-803〕 and must sign a statement declaring "that a covenant marriage is for life."〔Arkansas Code Annotated § 9-11-804〕 In contrast to no-fault divorce's more lenient requirements for non-covenant marriages, a spouse in a covenant marriage desiring a divorce may first be required to attend marital counseling.〔Arkansas Code Annotated § 9-11-808〕〔 A spouse desiring a divorce must also prove that one of the following is true:〔Arkansas Code Annotated § 9-11-808〕〔 * The other spouse has committed adultery. * The other spouse has committed a felony. * The other spouse engages in substance abuse. * The other spouse has physically or sexually abused the spouse or a child. * The spouses have been living separately for a minimum amount of time specified by law (one or two years, depending on the law of the state). Couples married without a covenant marriage may also accept the obligations of a covenant marriage at a later date.〔Arkansas Code Annotated § 9-11-807〕〔 Despite the goals of covenant marriage proponents, in the three states with covenant marriage statutes, only an extremely small minority of newlyweds have chosen covenant marriage. In Louisiana, between 2000 and 2010, only about 1% of marrying couples chose a covenant marriage, with the other 99% choosing to marry under standard marriage laws permitting no-fault divorce. In Arizona, estimates of the rate of covenant marriage among new couples range from 0.25% to 1%.〔https://pantherfile.uwm.edu/sdrewian/www/MEApaper2003.pdf〕〔http://www.eslawaz.com/covenant-marriage/〕 In Arkansas, a similarly very small number of couples choose covenant marriage.〔 According to proponents of covenant marriage, the movement sets out to promote and strengthen marriages, reduce the rate of divorce, lessen the number of children born out of wedlock, discourage cohabitation, and frame marriage as an honorable and desirable institution.〔Nock, Steven L., Laura Ann Sanchez, and James D. Wright. Covenant Marriage: The Movement to Reclaim Tradition in America: Rutgers University Press, 2008. UNC-CH Online Library. Web. 8 Nov. 2009. Critics of covenant marriage have described it "as an example of religion harnessing state power" 〔http://www.brandeis.edu/hbi/gcrl/images/mcclainWP.pdf〕 and creating roadblocks to no-fault divorce that "could easily exacerbate" a bad family "situation and harm kids."〔 According to these critics, "()aiting periods and mandatory classes 'add a new frustration to already frustrated lives'" and are merely "a form of paternalism - expanding government in pursuit of socially conservative ends." 〔 Covenant marriage law is technically written neutrally with respect to religion, however many view covenant marriage law as government permitting a religious form of marriage, particularly due to its historical background.〔Baker, Elizabeth H., et al. "Covenant Marriage and the Sanctification of Gendered Marital Roles." Journal of Family Issues 30.2 (2009): 147-178. SAGE Journals Online. Web. 8 Nov. 2009. ==References== 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Covenant marriage」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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