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Author Topic: Marriage age difference  (Read 1365 times)

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Offline Markus

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Marriage age difference
« on: October 01, 2018, 11:06:50 PM »
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  • I was reading a thread where someone recommended an age difference of "10 years" (where the man in the marriage is 10 years older than his wife) as "ideal". I also saw a post on Traditional Catholic Femininity advocating this position.

    I disagree with this thesis. In general, I believe it is good for the man to be older, and I have no objection to older men marrying young women. But I was offended by the opinion of one woman in the post I mentioned, who claimed that men are 7-10 years less mature than women by default. She actually said a 20 year old male has the mind of a 13 year old.

    This discourages me from pursuing marriage. I am working on my degree and am interested in being a teacher, in addition to helping with the family business. I am 20 years old and think I would like to get married in the next 2-3 years, although I am discerning my vocation still.

    Is this really so unreasonable, to marry someone who is my age, or slightly younger? I don't see myself as a 20 year old with the brain of a 13 year old -- I see myself as a 20 year old with the brain of a 20 year old. I see myself as an adult who knows where he's going and is skeptical of this advice these people are giving.

    What does the crowd here think?


    Offline Cantarella

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    Re: Marriage age difference
    « Reply #1 on: October 01, 2018, 11:28:32 PM »
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  • I think the ideal age difference is not based upon levels of psychological maturity; but on other factors. The primary purpose of Marriage is the formation of a family, so given this fact:

    For men, what determines the best age, is the ability to lead, protect, and financially provide for the family. Most men achieve this readiness by age 30 or so.  

    For women, it is the ability to biologically bear children and nurture them, which determines the best age. Because fertility is intrinsically connected to the youth of a woman, she should marry young. 18-22 years being the ideal age, in my opinion.

    Also, men and women are actually very different creatures and as such, they age very differently. I'd say that the ideal age difference is about 15 years, with 10 being the minimum, and 20 the maximum.
    If anyone says that true and natural water is not necessary for baptism and thus twists into some metaphor the words of our Lord Jesus Christ" Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Spirit" (Jn 3:5) let him be anathema.


    Offline Cantarella

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    Re: Marriage age difference
    « Reply #2 on: October 01, 2018, 11:49:14 PM »
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  • At 20 years old, you perhaps disagree with what I wrote above (according to the OP), but you may change your opinion when you reach 40 or so.
    If anyone says that true and natural water is not necessary for baptism and thus twists into some metaphor the words of our Lord Jesus Christ" Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Spirit" (Jn 3:5) let him be anathema.

    Offline Neil Obstat

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    Re: Marriage age difference
    « Reply #3 on: October 01, 2018, 11:50:39 PM »
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  • .
    Most States don't have any requirement for marriage candidates being 18.
    New Hampshire requires 13 for example.
    Several states require 14, others 15, still others 16, and so on.
    Liberals are pushing legislation to link age requirements with discrimination.
    sɛҳuąƖ orientation laws have already been passed so now if you're opposed to a mature man having child wife, you're a bigot.
    They've even got a term for someone who has a preference for young girls.
    So if you don't think that's okay, you're the problem for sɛҳuąƖ discrimination.
    .--. .-.-.- ... .-.-.- ..-. --- .-. - .... . -.- .. -. --. -.. --- -- --..-- - .... . .--. --- .-- . .-. .- -. -.. -....- -....- .--- ..- ... - -.- .. -.. -.. .. -. --. .-.-.

    Offline Carissima

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    Re: Marriage age difference
    « Reply #4 on: October 02, 2018, 12:19:27 AM »
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  • I was reading a thread where someone recommended an age difference of "10 years" (where the man in the marriage is 10 years older than his wife) as "ideal". I also saw a post on Traditional Catholic Femininity advocating this position.

    I disagree with this thesis. In general, I believe it is good for the man to be older, and I have no objection to older men marrying young women. But I was offended by the opinion of one woman in the post I mentioned, who claimed that men are 7-10 years less mature than women by default. She actually said a 20 year old male has the mind of a 13 year old.

    This discourages me from pursuing marriage. I am working on my degree and am interested in being a teacher, in addition to helping with the family business. I am 20 years old and think I would like to get married in the next 2-3 years, although I am discerning my vocation still.

    Is this really so unreasonable, to marry someone who is my age, or slightly younger? I don't see myself as a 20 year old with the brain of a 13 year old -- I see myself as a 20 year old with the brain of a 20 year old. I see myself as an adult who knows where he's going and is skeptical of this advice these people are giving.

    What does the crowd here think?
    I don’t believe there is an ideal age difference for marriage in these days that we live in. There are just too few good Catholics that are decent marriage material as it is already. So narrowing it down to some specific ‘age difference window’ could cut out potential candidates, and really only based on people’s opinions and not the facts regarding each specific couple. 
    Anyways if it did became an expected standard to judge these things it could only serve to cause chatter amongst chapel-goers as to whether or not a couple is suitable for marriage based on their age differences anyway. 

    My own father was a year younger than my mother and they remained faithful Catholics and faithful to each other even raising a large family. Sadly my dad was taken from this earth by cancer a few years ago (+God rest his soul) He was still very young, only in his 50’s and leaving my mother a widow much earlier then she ever could have planned for. 

    I am certain though that if it is God’s will, two souls meet according to His plan and so nothing to worry for He is Good!
    Prayers for you and your Vocation  :pray:


    Offline MaterDominici

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    Re: Marriage age difference
    « Reply #5 on: October 02, 2018, 12:57:29 AM »
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  • At 20 years old, you perhaps disagree with what I wrote above (according to the OP), but you may change your opinion when you reach 40 or so.
    Hmm... that means I haven't much time left to change my mind and agree with you.  ;)
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    OP - Be patient enough to find a good spouse and not let a desire to be married cause you to choose poorly. Also, be patient enough to finish your educational goals or you'll likely regret it later--for some, they're past this by age 20 ... others will take much longer. It's difficult enough to meet those two requirements (mostly #1). Don't let an "ideal" age difference keep you from marrying the right person.
    "I think that Catholicism, that's as sane as people can get."  - Jordan Peterson

    Online Nadir

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    Re: Marriage age difference
    « Reply #6 on: October 02, 2018, 01:40:27 AM »
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  • My paternal and maternal grandfathers were respectively 15 and 10 years older than my grandmothers.
    My father was 2 years older than my mother.
    My husband is 6 years older than me.
    All those marriages have been fruitful and happy.

    As long as the man is mature enough and able to take full responsibility for the moral, social and financial needs of a family he is ready for marriage, regardless of his age.

    Don't let anyone on a forum discourage you from pursuing marriage. But I suggest you get your degree and work a teacher, and help with the family business. Excellent preparation for marriage, but make sure you choose your future wife well. Don't rush into it.
    Help of Christians, guard our land from assault or inward stain,
    Let it be what God has planned, His new Eden where You reign.

    Offline Matthew

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    Re: Marriage age difference
    « Reply #7 on: October 02, 2018, 08:27:23 AM »
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  • It's natural for the man to be older than the woman, for many reasons which can be summed up best as "human nature".

    But that is as far as we should go. I disagree with the ridiculous "10 year minimum" as suggested above. Maybe that worked out for her personally so she's going to apply it universally -- but there is no logical reason to do that.

    Women can't stand to marry someone they consider inferior to them. That goes for intelligence, maturity, career, income, etc. On the other hand, normal women don't seem to be too focused on looks -- or even general fitness (weight, for example).

    And yes, maturity and wisdom are important factors in determining if a given young man is ready to marry. He also has to be able to provide for a family immediately after marriage. If he's still in college that's a problem. You can't "wait a few years to start a family" like pagans on birth control.

    I bring up wisdom because if you're not careful, you might end up marrying poorly:
    https://www.cathinfo.com/anonymous-posts-allowed/young-men-beware-marrying-novus-ordo-women/

    A lot of young guys don't think enough, or they go along with the mainstream too much ("she's hot!") but aren't thinking of the future. If the young lady wasn't raised in the Catholic Faith, or with conservative values, it's not going to be part of her. She might convert and go along with a strict interpretation of the Catholic Faith while times are good, while she's "in love" (the emotion) with you, but if times get hard, disagreements arise, the honeymoon ends, crosses and challenges arise, and hard decisions must be made, that protestant, pagan, or Novus Ordo upbringing will come back roaring with a vengeance.
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    Offline Pax Vobis

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    Re: Marriage age difference
    « Reply #8 on: October 02, 2018, 12:07:51 PM »
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  • The generation of WW1 and WW2 parents usually had a 3-5 yr age difference.  They married very young (late teens, early twenties) and most met in highschool or college so the age difference was less.  The reason why most of these marriages lasted VERY long was due to a variety of factors, the highest being

    1) having had a stable and loving family life and good parental examples for marriage,
    2) high religious ideals with divorce not being an opportunity,
    3) higher level of maturity of both spouses than today,
    4) most came from large families and had training on what it took to have a family AND agreed on traditional marriage roles for the spouses,
    5) both spouses had grounded expectations for life, for their children and for their marriage relationship.

    Very few (even Trads) can check-off the above 5 boxes with a high score.  If for men the new maturity age is "30", then the new maturity age for women is "25", in my opinion.  Millenial women are still more mature than men (on average) but their selfishness, life goals and expectations are WAY out of whack with reality (mostly because the jooish culture, God-less society and hollywood romance crap have corrupted their goals, ideals and expectations).

    Women can biologically bear and nurture children at 18 or 19 but their readiness to be a spouse, to run a home and to sacrifice for their family has been stalled, just like for men.

    Offline Markus

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    Re: Marriage age difference
    « Reply #9 on: October 13, 2018, 02:58:26 PM »
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  • I appreciate the thoughtful responses. As time goes on my desire for marriage becomes less and less and I have a greater interest in the priesthood. Incidentally, is it possible for me to become a priest if I'm an "illegitimate" son (My dad divorced his [wife and "married" my mother)? I understand the Society itself doesn't allow illegitimate sons to be priests, at least I think that's the case. I wonder if it's different in the Resistance?

    Another thought I had -- in the Middle Ages, the height of Christian civilisation, people weren't getting married in their 30s, were they? It was normal for people -- men and women alike -- to get married in their "teens". I really don't see anything wrong (as long as economics and morals are settled) with it.