Sentence:  While it is easy enough to ridicule Hawkins ' pronouncement in Pleas of the Crown from a metaphysical point of view , the concept of the `` oneness '' of a married couple may reflect an abiding belief that the communion between husband and wife is such that their actions <WSD>are</WSD> not always to be regarded by the criminal law as if there were no marriage . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun)