Should divorce be legalized?

helo..i just want to have some opinions from others..coz i'm against in the divorce...

I thank my opponent for challenging me to this debate. I would like to provide a few simple definitions that I hope we can agree on before beginning.

A marriage is a contract between two individuals in which they, at a minimum, establish a partnership in property, cohabitate, and make provisions for the raising of children (while I have no problem viewing a contract between two people of the same gender as a marriage, I am willing, for the purposes of this debate and at my opponent's request, to consider only the heterosexual case).

A contract is an agreement between two or more parties for the doing or not doing of something specified.

A divorce is the dissolution of a marriage contract.

If we agree on these definitions, or some reasonable substitute that my opponent can provide, I think we have established a point of departure for our debate. I eagerly await my opponent's reply.

I shall proceed and hope my opponent is able to post something in the next round.

Presumably, my opponent is wondering if divorce should remain legal, since it is already legalized. If we use my definitions - and my opponent has not indicated any disagreement - then divorce clearly should be legal. A marriage is an agreement between two parties; it is a contract. The terms of any divorce can be spelled out beforehand in the contract, just as in any other contract. If the contract is for marriage in perpetuity, no terms of dissolution were detailed, and only one party wants to pull out, then a third party arbitrator can award damages to the party who wishes to remain. As in any other contract, a person can pull out but may have to pay damages.

I await my opponent's reply and sincerely hope she makes one.

As a final argument, I will simply contend that in considering whether an action should be permitted, we must ask ourselves to what extent we may justly go to stop something. If someone wants to divorce, shall we throw them in jail? Shoot them if they try to escape from jail? Take their property from them (calling it a fine)? It is not at all clear that any such action would be warranted. Therefore, we have another reason why divorces should remain legal.

I thank my opponent for challenging me to the debate and wish she had been able to participate more.