"Marriage is distinctly and repeatedly excluded from heaven. Is this because it is thought likely to mar the general felicity?"
- Samuel Butler
About this Quote
This quote by Samuel Butler recommends that marital relationship is not viewed as a preferable or necessary part of life in heaven. This could be since marital relationship is seen as a source of prospective unhappiness, and it is believed that in heaven, everyone ought to more than happy and material. It might also be since marital relationship is seen as a worldly institution, and in paradise, people are no longer bound by the same guidelines and expectations of the world. Marital relationship is viewed as something that could potentially interrupt the ideal harmony of heaven, and so it is left out. This quote implies that marriage is not viewed as a necessary part of life, and that it is not essential for individuals to be wed in order to be happy and content.
"As we read the school reports on our children, we realize a sense of relief that can rise to delight that thank Heaven nobody is reporting in this fashion on us"
"Without stirring abroad, One can know the whole world; Without looking out of the window One can see the way of heaven. The further one goes The less one knows"