association opens up quite new possibilities of anticipating coming
developments of living, and of protecting and guaranteeing one another
from what for a single unprotected individual would be the inevitable
consequences of a particular line of conduct, conduct which happened to
be unorthodox or only, in the face of existing conditions, unwise.

For example, a friend of mine who had read a copy of the preceding
section wrote as follows:--

"I can see no reason why even to-day a number of persons avowedly united
in the same 'Belief' and recognizing each other as the self-constituted
social vanguard should not form a recognized spiritual community
centering round some kind of 'religious' edifice and ritual, and agree
to register and consecrate the union of any couples of the members
according to a contract which the whole community should have voted
acceptable. The community would be the guardian of money deposited or
paid in gradually as insurance for the children. And the fact of the
whole business being regular, open and connected with a common
intellectual and moral ritual and a common name, such for example as
your name of 'The Samurai,' would secure the respect of outsiders, so
that eventually these new marriage arrangements would modify the old
ones. People would ask, 'Were you married before the registrar?' and the
answer would be, 'No, we are Samurai and were united before the Elders.'
In Catholic countries those who use only the civil marriage are
considered outcasts by the religiously minded, which shows that
recognition by the State is not as potent as recognition by the
community to which one belongs. The religious marriage is considered the
only one binding by Catholics, and the civil ceremony is respected
merely because the State has brute force behind it."