I personally feel that the institution of marriage was built for a world that no longer exists. It's one thing to become a single financial and legal unit in a world where divorce is an illegal sin, but in the modern world where it's rather commonplace it puts a great deal of unnecessary strain on relationships, and resulting children.

I would propose that the role of marriage be greatly reduced to allowing things like visitation of a spouse in hospital, and introduce parenting contracts as a more appropriate solution for the modern world.

A woman in a free, modern society has the choice to terminate a pregnancy should she decide to. A man does not have a similar option. In a system of parenting contracts, a man would have the right to decline fatherhood. Perhaps limited to a short while after being informed of the pregnancy/birth, a man could choose to forfeit all rights and obligations to the child.

In the case that two people decide to parent a child together, they could agree and sign in advance the terms of a parenting contract. Would it be 50/50 custody or would there be a primary parent who has custody, in the event that the couple grow apart. Is one partner expected to do more than half of the parenting and therefore entitled to extra support from the partner, or are they committing to the same level of care. Surely this is better decided amicably, in advance, than after a relationship sours.

It seems a lot fairer to me. But I'd like to hear your thoughts.