> if the church invented the notion of marriage a thousand year ago Well, first the notion of marriage is a tad older than a thousand years, to claim it's onl

> if the church invented the notion of marriage a thousand year ago Well, first the notion of marriage is a tad older than a thousand years, to claim it's only that old is remarkably ahistorical. Second, which church? Many religious and non-religious institutions have had some notion of marriage for quite a while. Which one gets to claim first rights and to have the proper definition and why do they get to keep making that distinction today for people who aren't members of their church/religion?