Letter: Trust in marriage

So weakened is our culture's grasp of the institution of marriage, the growing acceptance of pre-nuptial agreements (your report, 21 October) is unsurprising.

Any arrangement entered into with one eye on its premature conclusion is not a marriage in the traditional sense. Marriage should embody utter trust, commitment and permanence. While Western Europe courts gay marriage, easier divorce and pre-nups, some states in America have introduced the option of "covenant marriage".

This entails a process of marriage preparation, and a firmer legal bond that makes divorce more difficult. Divorce would be the first thing children would ban if they ruled the world, according to a 2008 poll of 1,600 children.

"Person of faith" R Pilkington (Letters, 21 October) wishes to have her same-sex relationship blessed in a church. I expect she will have this granted before too long: there is not shortage of Scottish churches and ministers who have long since departed from God's revelation in general, and on this issue in particular.

Richard Lucas

Cowan Road

Edinburgh