Can a childless marriage survive

Answer 1

Depending on the culture one lives in, the question becomes, "what is the definition of marriage?". If the sole purpose of the marriage is progeny, then the marriage is doomed from the start if there are no children. By most cultures's standards, marriage is a contract between two people for the conservation of assets. While this is a rather bald and cold definition, it is a true statement. Children are essentially a byproduct of the contract as a result of a mutually exclusive sexual agreement. Being childless, while heartbreaking, is not the primary reason to be married. In this answerer's opinion, the reason to be married is because one finds mutual respect, joy, and satisfaction between two people and only those two. This condition is called "love" and has nothing to do with progeny. When this condition occurs, it is rare, wonderful, and totally satisfying to the two people concerned. A childless marriage can be a wonderful and fullfilling institution as long as both parties know from the outset that the possibility is there. It is important to explore the possibility during premarital counciling so that both parties understand the implications and can live with them. One's expectations are quite frequently different from the reality of the situation. If the marriage is barren and the couple find the marriage fullfilling, then the classic adoption option is available and resolves the issue of children quite well. Fostering children is another option, as is surrogacy. Yes, a childless marriage is a totally viable relationship.