Three Shocking Truths About Legal Marriage
Three Shocking Truths about Legal Marriage
Shocking truth #1: In legal marriage, there is no separation of church and state.
The traditional wedding vows include this statement made by the church representative: "With the power invested in me by God and the State of (Alaska, Nebraska, etc.), I now pronounce you man and wife." Thus making the state on par with God. Thus making the state involved in our precious relationship with our chosen mate.
Even if the wedding is held as a religious ceremony, the marriage license from the county courthouse means that permission was sought from the government to marry. The intimate relationship between the two people being married is submitted to government control.
Shocking truth #2: Church weddings are still government weddings
Legal marriage harks back to the days in Europe when the church and government together exercised authority over their subjects. Weddings were held in churches as part of exercising that authority -- in order to keep better records and to make weddings a public event. Church rules denied marriage for a whole list of rather petty reasons, such as an individual adopted into a family could not then marry a member of that family. The phrase made famous in films had a practical purpose for the church and government: "If any person here can show cause why these two people should not be joined in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace." There was a myriad of reasons that two people might not be joined.
Some churches, such as the Catholic Church, still issue the banns of marriage -- which is the practice of weddings being announced weeks in advance so that if the marriage should be forbidden for any reason known by a member of the public, that member can do their civic duty and inform the church authority and thus prevent the marriage. The whole practice of wedding announcements probably is based on seeking state and church approval of the marriage. So we see that many of our traditional marriage practices go back to days of more blatant church and state control.
But now we should at least be able to marry in church without state involvement. The marriage, the love, the life between two people ideally has nothing do so with state permission and control. Couples, if they desire, should be able to marry before the eyes of God without government license and future involvement. Let two people handle their own lives without judges and lawyers making legal demands.
Shocking truth #3: Government involvement means trouble
It's deceptive to believe as though "making it legal" with the government -- either directly in the case of a wedding presided over by a civil authority, such as the Justice of the Peace, or indirectly as in the case of a church wedding in conjunction with a marriage license -- makes the relationship "right" or better. Adam and Eve were joined without a wedding ceremony or a wedding license. Civil marriages accept government control over the most intimate relationships -- our sexual partner and the future of our children. A prenuptial agreement between the partners would have better results than blindly giving authority to the state over their futures.
The full force of this government control and involvement is not felt at the wedding ceremony. No, it seems innocent and kind of quaint. But that barely-noticeable marriage certificate has made a binding legal contract until death between the two individuals. Now, most binding legal contracts have clauses of expectations and responsibilities to be met or the contract is null and void. The state-issued certificate has no such clauses.
If something goes amiss with the marriage and a termination of the marriage is sought, that's when both individuals will have almost as many court dates and legal bills as the most hardened criminal. The most well-meaning individuals are then brutalized by the very state that seemed like such an insignificant wedding attendant.
Shocking truth #1: In legal marriage, there is no separation of church and state.
The traditional wedding vows include this statement made by the church representative: "With the power invested in me by God and the State of (Alaska, Nebraska, etc.), I now pronounce you man and wife." Thus making the state on par with God. Thus making the state involved in our precious relationship with our chosen mate.
Even if the wedding is held as a religious ceremony, the marriage license from the county courthouse means that permission was sought from the government to marry. The intimate relationship between the two people being married is submitted to government control.
Shocking truth #2: Church weddings are still government weddings
Legal marriage harks back to the days in Europe when the church and government together exercised authority over their subjects. Weddings were held in churches as part of exercising that authority -- in order to keep better records and to make weddings a public event. Church rules denied marriage for a whole list of rather petty reasons, such as an individual adopted into a family could not then marry a member of that family. The phrase made famous in films had a practical purpose for the church and government: "If any person here can show cause why these two people should not be joined in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace." There was a myriad of reasons that two people might not be joined.
Some churches, such as the Catholic Church, still issue the banns of marriage -- which is the practice of weddings being announced weeks in advance so that if the marriage should be forbidden for any reason known by a member of the public, that member can do their civic duty and inform the church authority and thus prevent the marriage. The whole practice of wedding announcements probably is based on seeking state and church approval of the marriage. So we see that many of our traditional marriage practices go back to days of more blatant church and state control.
But now we should at least be able to marry in church without state involvement. The marriage, the love, the life between two people ideally has nothing do so with state permission and control. Couples, if they desire, should be able to marry before the eyes of God without government license and future involvement. Let two people handle their own lives without judges and lawyers making legal demands.
Shocking truth #3: Government involvement means trouble
It's deceptive to believe as though "making it legal" with the government -- either directly in the case of a wedding presided over by a civil authority, such as the Justice of the Peace, or indirectly as in the case of a church wedding in conjunction with a marriage license -- makes the relationship "right" or better. Adam and Eve were joined without a wedding ceremony or a wedding license. Civil marriages accept government control over the most intimate relationships -- our sexual partner and the future of our children. A prenuptial agreement between the partners would have better results than blindly giving authority to the state over their futures.
The full force of this government control and involvement is not felt at the wedding ceremony. No, it seems innocent and kind of quaint. But that barely-noticeable marriage certificate has made a binding legal contract until death between the two individuals. Now, most binding legal contracts have clauses of expectations and responsibilities to be met or the contract is null and void. The state-issued certificate has no such clauses.
If something goes amiss with the marriage and a termination of the marriage is sought, that's when both individuals will have almost as many court dates and legal bills as the most hardened criminal. The most well-meaning individuals are then brutalized by the very state that seemed like such an insignificant wedding attendant.
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