With half the marriages ending in divorce, can we still call it a sacred bond? Or is it just a piece of paper? Is living together a way to test a relationship, o a way to avoid responsibilities?

ALLY: The biggest mistake young women have been making since the advent of the women's liberation movement is living with a man before marrying him. In many cases, the man drags his feet on the subject of marriage and refuses to propose. It's the old saw, "Why buy the cow when the milk is free?"

In the meantime, the poor woman's biological clock is ticking away, and if she can finally persuade the selfish guy to marry her, it may be too late for her to conceive. It could take thousands of dollars and indescribable pain for her to get pregnant, and even that might not work.

What has women's lib gotten the hapless female? The ability to pay half the check on a dinner date, the right to stand on the bus while men are sitting, the privilege to pop the question and get turned down, the destiny to stay unmarried for life and never know the joy of having a baby or the security and respectability that come from having a husband.

YALE: I get very upset when people say: "Nobody has to get married anymore. There's no stigma to living together, or even having children without marriage."

They need a reality check!

An army of educated professionals, such as sociologists, psychiatrists, social workers, law enforcement agents, prison officials, AIDS workers and ministers can present a woefully sad picture of the results of that ignorant line of thinking.

A high percentage of sons of single mothers turn to gangs for male structure, leading to a life of drugs and crime. Children having babies is the primary cause of poverty. The responsibility of raising these children is left to an overwhelmed social services system that was put in place for real needs, not the products of a casual sexual lifestyle.

Any people think there's no stigma attached to this? Get real.

KIMBERLEY: That little piece of paper is anything but meaningless. It's a legally binding contract. It's an easy contract to make but a hard one to break. And that's a good thing.

If a couple is just living together, it's too easy to split if they have a fight. All one of them has to do is find a new place to live, pack up his or her stuff and call the mover, and the relationship is over. It's like it never happened.

Married couples don't have that luxury. If they want to split up, it's going to cost them time and money. The lawyers and the state are going to get involved. That's a huge incentive for couples to work out their problems.

Did you live with someone? Did it lead to marriage? Did it strengthen the relationship, or ruin it? Send your tale, along with your questions and rants to cheryllavinrapp@gmail.com. And check out my e-books, "Dear Cheryl: Advice from Tales from the Front" and "I'll Call You. Not."