are arranged marriages better than love marriages

Rebuttal: Arranged marriages are most common in places like the Middle East, South Asia and East Asia [1]. In these areas, the divorce rate in "love marriages" is not 50% or anywhere close to it, so Pro's presented statistic does not apply. Also, in these areas divorce is generally looked down upon and not considered a cultural norm or even socially acceptable. Indeed religion and culture play the biggest role in married life; divorce is not usually an option therefore it makes sense that divorce rates in arranged marriages are lower. Also, many of these cultures place a high emphasis on religion - religions that prohibit or severely frown down upon divorce. So again, couples don't stay married because they WANT to, but because it is a better option than divorcing which carries with it a plethora of negative social repercussions. Furthermore, in many cases divorce can be a good or beneficial thing [2]. In that case, limiting divorce in an instance where it would be beneficial is actually a negative and a strike against the affirmative position. Arguments: 1. Many arranged marriages are based on astrology and numerology compatibility [1]; however, those are completely unreliable [3]. Therefore, the factors that go into determining a good match are based on falsities, which can have devastating results for the couple. 2. When asked what qualities are important in a good marriage or marriage partner, most people answer with responses such as selflessness; committed partners; acceptance/tolerance; compatibility in terms of humor, intellect and values; forgiveness; helpfulness and romance [4]. However, none of these factors are considered when determining an arranged marriage (typically). Instead, factors that go into this arrangement most notable include the family's reputation; vocation; wealth; religion; horoscope; diet; age and language. As you can see, none of this really answers a lot of compatibility questions at an inner level, or describes the type of compatibility that usually makes a marriage happy/successful. Therefore while marriages may remain together instead of divorced, it increases the chance of unhappy marriages or unfulfilled marriages. 3. Some cultures use arranged marriages to suppress women by marrying them off at a young age before they are old enough to develop independently. This inhibits their self-esteem, personal growth and also does not give them a chance to focus on their own education and career, later on making them completely dependent of men and stifling their freedoms plus makes them virtual prisoners or at least dependent. Being a dependent person is not good for one's self-esteem or growth as an individual. 4. Some cultures, such as the polygamist sects in the Western United States, actually have turned arranged marriages into an institutionalized form of child abuse [5]. Conclusion: The benefits of romantic marriages outweigh the benefits of arranged marriages. Further, Pro would have to prove that arranged marriages are BETTER, meanwhile the reality is that at best one is only better than the other based on individual preferences (values) and not as a whole that can be applied to all people and cultures in society. Thank you. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org... [2] http://www.marginalrevolution.com... [3] http://gawker.com... [4] http://marriage.families.com... [5] http://www.edubook.com...