Views on Marriage Licenses for Christians?

[tuliplane]

I know most anyone unquestioningly attains a marriage license to seal their commitments, however, I would like some Christian opinions on this.

Is signing a marriage license giving the state reign over something that is spiritual and God-ordained?

I came across these two articles where the authors were basically saying one is defying God's institution of marriage and submitting to sin by getting a marriage license because it aligns with a worldly/evil view of marriage.
Is a Christian required to register his marriage with the state?

Reasons not to marry with a state marriage license

There are opponents of this idea though, who state that we must submit to the governing authorities. This argument is not valid for marriage licenses however, because although one may not be legally recognized as married, they are not breaking a law by not having the legal form signed - it's an optional thing to do and something that is quite recent in history.

Anyway, I would see to hear others' views on this!

 

[HTacianas]

I know most anyone unquestioningly attains a marriage license to seal their commitments, however, I would like some Christian opinions on this.

Is signing a marriage license giving the state reign over something that is spiritual and God-ordained?

I came across these two articles where the authors were basically saying one is defying God's institution of marriage and submitting to sin by getting a marriage license because it aligns with a worldly/evil view of marriage.
Is a Christian required to register his marriage with the state?

Reasons not to marry with a state marriage license

There are opponents of this idea though, who state that we must submit to the governing authorities. This argument is not valid for marriage licenses however, because although one may not be legally recognized as married, they are not breaking a law by not having the legal form signed - it's an optional thing to do and something that is quite recent in history.

Anyway, I would see to hear others' views on this!

A marriage certificate is a legal document informing the State that two people have chosen to live as a married couple. It serves only as evidence to resolve legal disputes that might come up later involving the marriage.

The State does not marry people, it merely maintains a record that the people are in fact married.

 

[tuliplane]

A marriage certificate is a legal document informing the State that two people have chosen to live as a married couple. It serves only as evidence to resolve legal disputes that might come up later involving the marriage.

The State does not marry people, it merely maintains a record that the people are in fact married.

But isn't there a difference between license and certificate, whereas a license is asking permission from the state to do that which is ordained by God?

 

[AlexSad]

Anyway, I would see to hear others' views on this!

A marriage license is a legal thing that defines how you will divide your property after a divorce and nothing else.
You're not married yet, but you're thinking of divorce. That's what marriage license really means.

 

[HTacianas]

But isn't there a difference between license and certificate, whereas a license is asking permission from the state to do that which is ordained by God?

A "marriage license" is not really a license the way a driver's license is. The license is merely a form signed by the officiant notifying the State that the marriage has taken place. The State then registers the marriage and issues a certificate the couple can then use as proof of the marriage. Marriage itself conveys any number of legal rights to the couple, including inheritance, support, etc. Without a marriage certificate all those legal rights are difficult to assert.

 

[tuliplane]

A marriage license is a legal thing that defines how you will divide your property after a divorce and nothing else.
You're not married yet, but you're thinking of divorce. That's what marriage license really means.

So how would one go about "being recognized" as a married couple (e. g. sharing the same name) while at the same time, not taking part in the license ordeal?

 

[PloverWing]

Marriage as a legal contract and marriage as a church sacrament are two different, though closely related, things.

Marriage as a church sacrament is concerned with a couple making promises before God, with the church as witness, and the church implicitly promising to help the couple in their marriage. This is the "spiritual and God-ordained" kind of marriage that you're describing in the OP.

Marriage as a legal contract is concerned with issues like shared property, inheritance, custody of children, and so on. Because we do live in a physical world with houses and children, it's useful for the state to oversee these issues. The church doesn't generally concern itself with questions like who owns the house when one spouse dies; that's a state matter.

My husband and I wanted both the sacramental union and the legal contract, so our marriage was certified both by a church and by the state of Maryland. You may opt for just one of these without the other, if that meets your needs.

 

[All4Christ]

So how would one go about "being recognized" as a married couple (e. g. sharing the same name) while at the same time, not taking part in the license ordeal?

The “license ordeal” for me was a trip to the courthouse in the next town over, providing my birth certificates and my husband’s, signing a paper and leaving about 15 minutes later.

To change your name without that, you also would have to go through the court to request a legal name change. You would not automatically be given the rights from marriage in the case of a medical emergency unless you take care of it legally separately. All of the things that come with legal marriage documentation would have to be handled separately.

To me, the license wasn’t a problem at all. The Christian marriage isn’t because of the license. The license doesn’t seal the marriage. The license just documents that we got married.

 

[crossnote]

The legality of a marriage license also helps protect the weaker party (usually the woman) from getting burned by the stronger. A very Christian concept.

 

[Albion]

So how would one go about "being recognized" as a married couple (e. g. sharing the same name) while at the same time, not taking part in the license ordeal?

You are entitled to change your name to almost anything you choose, but you have to go to court to make it official. You cannot hold yourself out as married in any legal sense as a result, although your friends would know you as such. The marriage license procedure, by the way, is remarkably simple and uncomplicated, so I would not call it an "ordeal" by any means.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

I know most anyone unquestioningly attains a marriage license to seal their commitments, however, I would like some Christian opinions on this.

Is signing a marriage license giving the state reign over something that is spiritual and God-ordained?

I came across these two articles where the authors were basically saying one is defying God's institution of marriage and submitting to sin by getting a marriage license because it aligns with a worldly/evil view of marriage.
Is a Christian required to register his marriage with the state?

Reasons not to marry with a state marriage license

There are opponents of this idea though, who state that we must submit to the governing authorities. This argument is not valid for marriage licenses however, because although one may not be legally recognized as married, they are not breaking a law by not having the legal form signed - it's an optional thing to do and something that is quite recent in history.

Anyway, I would see to hear others' views on this!

Paul taught that we must be subject to the civil authorities, and marriage licences are a part of that.

 

[tuliplane]

Paul taught that we must be subject to the civil authorities, and marriage licences are a part of that.

But is it? My understanding is that it is not illegal if people don't get one...it's just not convenient. And if it were illegal, wouldn't that be a law people should not follow because it's putting the government in the role of God? I'm not in any way trying to argue...I'm actually not even biased one way or the other, just trying to understand!

 

[mama2one]

to adopt marriage license required
our church marriage papers wouldn't have counted

so pretty important to us to be legal

 

[WolfGate]

First to address the article, claiming that getting a license is sinful is simply ludicrous. Jesus addressed that when asked about paying taxes.

Do you need a license? My answer on that used to be "yes" because we are instructed to obey the authorities when they are not directing us to go against God's instructions and the authorities say we need the license to be recognized as married. Over time I've moved to the belief that we use the same word "marriage" to mean two different things. One is the vow before God, the other is the state recognized union. Much as we only have one word "love" to cover several different concepts.

If a Christian chooses to only have a church marriage and does not intend to claim any legal benefits of being a married couple, I think that is fine though in many cases it may not be wise.

So I agree with those who say you must submit to the governing authorities for marriage if they are talking about the secular state licensed marriage and its benefits. I also say you don't need that license to be recognized as married in a church. I do think that would require going through whatever steps your church feels you should take to make a public covenant of the marriage. I'm not thinking we can follow the model of the patriarchal cultures who allow a couple to say "we are married" and then say "we are divorced" when they are tired of their latest spouse.

 

[All4Christ]

But is it? My understanding is that it is not illegal if people don't get one...it's just not convenient. And if it were illegal, wouldn't that be a law people should not follow because it's putting the government in the role of God? I'm not in any way trying to argue...I'm actually not even biased one way or the other, just trying to understand!

The key imho is that a marriage license is not taking the place of the Christian marriage. It serves a different purpose. We aren’t married in the eyes of God just based on a license. The license is a legal recognition of the marriage, not the cause or act of the marriage.

 

[AlexSad]

Marriage itself conveys any number of legal rights to the couple, including inheritance, support, etc. Without a marriage certificate all those legal rights are difficult to assert.

Yes. As I said license conveys some number of legal rights to the couple in case of divorce.

 

[AlexSad]

so pretty important to us to be legal

Why?
You can't love each other without papers or have kids, live together, have sex, etc.

Why don't you need the friendship papers? For example, friends can live in the same room because of life occasions but no one says that they should legalize their relationship.

 

[AlexSad]

So how would one go about "being recognized" as a married couple (e. g. sharing the same name) while at the same time, not taking part in the license ordeal?

In front of whom do you want to be recognized as a "married couple"? God knows. In front of people? Make a party and put the ring on your finger.
I assure you, most people don't care if you have a license or not.

 

[Joined2krist]

Yes, marriage licence isn't bad for Christians, it helps protect the rights of women/men in marriages. It's a good thing for Christians to obey the law of the state and if it's a requirement to get a marriage license then get one. God bless

 

[All4Christ]

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