I find it hard to believe that this group would care. I don't know if your family and parents share your same beliefs on everything you do, but I know I have seen post after post that says that they don't and you still manage. I mean is any of your families today actually going to cut you off if you don't get married?
Just remember that all of this discussion stems off of the argument of going back to traditional values and traditional families which some here were debating.
Many in here don't want to go back to that way of life due to what their parents went through because of many of those "Traditional" values. Many of those involved forcing them to get married or otherwise attempting to control their lives.
Some families still will cut their children off, depending on where they live in the world, their culture, beliefs, etc.
The only real difference is one or two generations.... going back to this "traditional" approach some were talking about, would mean stepping back a couple of generations and then many of these issues will arise again.
It's not that they are currently happening, it's the chance that they could become common place once again, which I oppose.
And yes you guys are treating humans like a car and a house.
As well we should.
I'll be the first to say that it's the wisest way to approach a long term relationship.
Deciding to spend the rest of your life with someone through marriage and to have kids with that someone is a much bigger and more important decision then just picking a car or house. Many of those things won't last all your life..... your husband/wife is supposed to though...... thus one would think you'd want to be much more picky, much more cautious and try and make sure you are making a sound decision on as much information as you can get.
A life-partner, husband, wife, children in their general terms are indeed objects..... objects of your potiential future life. Until you know who they are, meet them face to face, etc. there is nothing personal involved in the concept of your approach, thus it doesn't matter what you think of them.
I would figure being more picky and judgemental of the people you wish to spend the rest of your life with would be more important then picking the color of your car or how many bathrooms your house has.
I have noticed some in here talk about sleeping with someone or living with them before marriage as being shallow, a bad thing, making humans into objects they can easily return...... yet what is the difference in doing either of the above compared to just dating someone before marrying them?
Afterall, dating/going out with someone is just the exact same thing..... all you're doing is trying the person out, testing them..... learning who they are, judging whether or not you see a future with this person.
Why is there suddenly this imaginary line between dating someone and eventually moving in with that person before marriage that it's somehow totally different and objectifies humans more then the other?
Just because you move in with someone doesn't automatically mean you're having sex with them..... and even if you were, so what? Everybody determines what is important to them in a relationship, esspecially when it comes to marriage.... everybody determines how they go about finding out if this is the right relationship for them.
Some people can make a decision on limited information which they'll figure out after getting married..... others, through their own experience or through their own parents/family member's experiences, would prefer all the information they can get before deciding.
No matter if you just date the person and yet keep your distance, or if you start having sex with them, or you decide to move in with them.... all of it is the exact same thing as test driving a car and returning it if you don't like what you see.
That is, unless you married the very first person you dated.

(right after the very first date mind you)