Mark Anthony and his Russian bride-to-be Marina
say love in the time of COVID-19
has put a strain on their relationship
to the point where they aren't sure
if they should get married.
Mark, you go ahead and start with your first question.
A wife should be three things
as I understand it spiritually.
Fruitful and multiply, help, a help mate
and to be submissive,
but no submissive in slave sense
but more like follow the leader.
Marina follows me, I get her to God, I get us to God.
So, having said that, you also mentioned money.
What is, in your experience,
the best working model for a marriage
with regards to money?
'Cause Marina and I have different opinions.
Well I think that a marriage is a negotiation
from the beginning and every day of the relationship.
It's always negotiated and
if you want to look at it from a spiritual standpoint,
the role of the man of the family
is to be a provider, a protector, a leader and a teacher
and so I think that you absolutely
have a responsibility to
at least contribute in a material fashion
to the relationship as the man in the family.
That doesn't mean that she can't contribute also.
But I think you have a responsibility.
And how would she contribute, if not financially?
How would she contribute, if not financially,
since I have to help her get work as a DJ?
Well you just outlined it yourself.
You said that she is to be in a role os a supporter for you
in all that you do so
I suspect that she could be a contributor in many ways
in terms of helping you in your pursuits
and the things that you seek to achieve,
the goals that you put in front of you,
to give you a soft place to fall, to love you, support you,
to nurture you, to do all of the things that
someone that you're in love with in a relationship would do.
So almost in some ways perhaps, mother me.
Not what I had in mind.
No? But a wife, which could be
to me, would be a stronger relationship
if it's mother, daughter, I'm her father figure.
I mean, she doesn't have a father, I don't have a mother.
We should completely help one another though, correct?
Apart from, let's say, her working
as a job, maybe like also around the house?
Well I would think that both of you would contribute in
every way that you could to make something work.
I don't think relationships are 50/50,
I think they're 100/100.
I think both of you do everything you can
to make the relationship work.
Okay, now you had mentioned it's a negotiation
so I have asked Marina to sign a document
with regards to tithing,
but I don't want to get into that now.
I have a prenuptial agreement,
but not like I think other peoples'.
You have more experience.
I don't know what a normal prenup looks like.
How can I encourage Marina
to sign this prenup that's more or less
just a paper document that our marriage
is not gonna be about money,
but it's gonna be 100/100 and that we help each other?
Well I'm looking at your marriage testament right now.
And what do you think?
I think it sounds more like vows than a prenup to me.
This is something you wrote years ago, right?
When I first wanted to get married.
But the primary part of it is the financial part
because spiritually, it could just be
her, me and God on the beach and I'm content.
But like you said, it's a negotiation,
it's a legal binding document.
Marina and I have really opposite views on money
so I'm of the belief 50/50,
Marina's of the belief I pay for everything
and she's just there.
And I'm like, "You have to at least work or help."
Don't you agree?
Well, didn't she pay for everything in Las Vegas?
No, I did.
Let me ask you this.
If I was just to promise to provide
food, clothing and shelter which is scriptural
and then let's say date nights,
would that be enough of my responsibility financially
and any money that we make is our money?
Because she's of the belief
that I'm supposed to do all the work,
make all the money, support her
and she just gets to do her DJ dream.
But again, what is your best working financial model
and would you be against her signing this prenup?
I would absolutely be against her signing this prenup.
I think it is vague, ambiguous
and I think you're weaponizing it
in the way you're describing it to me right now.