SNIP

>I believe the institution of marriage was setup to promote the best chance for a stable family unit.... especially for the children.

I think it was mostly to increase wealth, land holdings, property, create a peaceful tie between opposing groups, and to ensure the person married off didn't up and leave later, they took [her] rights away when [she] got married and everything transferred to the husband. Yeh, I think [legal] and [religously recognized] marriage was created by MEN.