>>I was wondering when someone was going to point that out. Or, that a 'marriage' began as a political/financial institution designed to make it easier for inheritance rights.
>
>That's what it always was - the basic economic unit of the society.
>
>Now I can see a number of institutions making a living out of, or based upon the status quo, to the point where they don't see a future for themselves if it was ever changed.

That's probably true everywhere, isn't it? Change almost always threatens someone or something.