“Companionate”marriage

Sep 21, 2026

Judge Ben B. Lindsey discusses “companionate marriage” as a legally regulated, socially established practice rather than a scandalous exception. The pamphlet explains that companionate marriage involves planned family building through contraceptives and the option of divorce when no children exist and both partners mutually desire separation. Lindsey addresses public controversy, attributing hostile reactions to ignorance, prejudice, and misrepresentation, and frames the discussion within Denver’s divorce and family court experience.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryReligion & Spirituality

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

“Companionate”marriage

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WHAT Is COMPANIONATE MARRIAGE?

97-84163-4Lindsey,Ben Barr # “Companionate”marriage [n.p.] [1927] ## COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY LIBRARIESPRESERVATION DIVISIONBIBLIOGRAPHIC MICROFORM TARGET ORIGINAL MATERIAL AS FILMED-EXISTING BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD Reproductions may not be made without permission trom Columbia University Libraries. RESTRICTIONS ON USE: TECHNICAL MICROFORM DATA FILM SIZE: 5mmBEDUCTION RATIO: 9:/ IMAGE PLACEMENT:IA( DATE FILMED: 8-1497INITIALS: f3 TRACKING\#: 23380 FILMED BY PRESERVATION RESOURCES,BETHLEHEM,PA. ## BIBLIOGRAPHIC IRREGULARITIES MAIN ENTRY:Lindsey,Ben Bar …… …… … ……… … …………-- -… …“Companionate”marriage ………… … … ## Bibliographic Irregularities in the Original Document: List all volumes and pages affected;include name of institution if filming borrowed text. Page(s)missing/not available: Volume(s)missing/not available: XIllegible and/or damaged page(s):_ front cover,p.2,22,23 Page(s)or volume(s)misnumbered: Bound out of sequence:_ XBest Copy Available ___Page(s)or volume(s)filmed from copy borrowed from: Other:_ Inserted material: ## BEST COPYAVAILABLE 03 品 ## ECOMPANHONATEMARRIACE 三 —BY一 r23.291 JUDGE BEN B.LINDSEY [Due to repeated misrepresentations andmisznderstandings of Judge Lindsey's ad-vocacy of the Legal Regulation of present“Companionate”snarriage,and the manyintquirics concerning it,KOA Radio Sta-tion,General Electric Company,Denveriuvited Judge Lindsey to "air"lhis real ziewson the subject.This he did on the eveningof March I3 and 20,I927.In azzsver toinczy requests his address then delivered isprinted in this pamphlet.The present pub-li interest in“companionate marriage”grows out of its discussion in his book,"The Rcvolt_of Modern Youth,"and in"The Mcral Resvolt."a scries of articles byc ge Lindsey noc running in the"Redtuk”anagacine,to appear in book forn7S1mmcr of i027.] 120Ny own City of Denver,quite typical of thecest of our American cities,I have lived to seethe record cf divorce cases,added to that of sap-aration and non-support cases,filed In our courtsannua!ly;with the unofficial czses known to us,equal or exeed the number of marriage licenses(granted.This fallure of marriage,and apparentbreak-up·nfh?American home,has co:1czrnedme greatly. Because?care so much for the instintion ofmarriage,fr its permanence and for"thesanctity of the American home,"which we havedone so nuch to promote through the numeronsconstructive laws written and the work done inthe Juvenile and Family Cout of Denver in thelast twenty-seven years,and because Iam opposedto "triel marrage"Lnd the illceit sex relationshipsin the growing uulegalized unions between people一especials young reople-under cur rigid marrlagecode,I became interested in the present well-established institution of“Companionate Mar-riage."i5es lorg been recognized as one of thetwoagles of our e Lating marriage code.In our do-nestie relations worh,with Its confidences andexceptional opportunities to knu w neople,we know society"AS IT IS,"and not as those outside thecourt think it is.Thus we have had a good squarelook at“Companionate Marriage,”as it is nowgoing on in all the churches and in society gen-erally. THE MENACE OF IGNORANCE, The greatest menace to the progress and hap-piness of the human race is ignorance.It isfostered mostly by prejudice,superstition andbigotry.Seldom have we witnessed a betterillustration of ignorance than in the protests,abuse,and denunciations that followed my

FAQs

What does Lindsey say are the two main elements of “companionate” marriage?

He identifies the use of contraceptives/birth control to decide when and how many children to have, and the ability for spouses without children to divorce by mutual desire without deception and hypocrisy.

Why does the pamphlet claim many critics misunderstand companionate marriage?

It argues that critics are driven by ignorance and misrepresentation, judging Lindsey by sensational headlines or by not reading what he wrote.

How does Lindsey connect companionate marriage to his experiences in Denver?

He references Denver’s divorce, separation, and non-support records filed in courts, presenting marriage failure and breakdown as concerns that motivate his interest in the institution’s legal regulation.

Sep 21, 2026

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