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Marriage and the State
If I got married in a church by an orthodox priest,anointed with oil, and partake of the Holy Mysteries, why do I need a marriage certificate from the State? Furthermore, if I choose not to have a marriage license and certificate, does that mean my marriage is null before God?
Comments
@minatasgeel Why? It just seems like a waste of time, money and a pollution of the Church by the State. Why do Copts think that the State is a good thing? There are many issues such as this where we seem to have relegated to the state some of the church's responsibilities and have blindly accepted what they say.
"Matthew 22:21 doesn't specify what belongs to Caesar. Couldn't He have meant nothing belongs to Caesar?"
It is possible but highly unlikely. If Christ wanted to say nothing belongs to Caesar, he would have said it clearer. Maybe he would have used a parable. But Christ was not a Roman anarchist. He was a Pharisaical anarchist. (Although since He is the one with the real authority, we really can't call him an anarchist). If nothing belongs to Caesar, then why did God allow Joseph and Mary to register for the census? Or why did Paul appeal to Caesar for a trial if nothing belongs to Caesar? It seems anti-biblical and anti-Christian to be an antidisestablishmentarianist at face value. Now if the establishment/government is corrupt and immoral, then the Christian thing to do is witness against it. However, the use of marriage certificates does not rise to the level of corruption.
"Furthermore, when were marriage licenses and certificates invented?"
Well divorce certificates were found in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 24:1, Isa 50:1, Jer 3:8) and the New Testament (Mat 5:31, 19:7, Mk 10:4). One would assume that a marriage certificate was also in play (at least a verbal certificate of agreement). In Europe, written marriage certificates were found about 400-500 years ago. The practice continued to the British colonies include the US.
"It just seems like a scam (like every sort of crap the government tries to spin) to settle taxes etc."
It probably started out worse than just taxes. "According to the North Carolina History project, in 1741, the state increased control over marriages, primarily to prohibit interracial marriages by issuing marriage licenses. By the 1920s, some 38 other states had issued similar laws in an effort to keep the white race "pure." Virginia's Racial Integrity Act (RIA) of 1924 made it illegal for mixed-race couples to marry. The RIA remained law until 1967 when the U.S. Supreme Court declared Virginia's ban on interracial marriage unconstitutional."
But you are correct. "By the latter part of the 19th century, states began to "nullify common-law marriages (Church authorized, non-civil marriages can be included too) and exert more control over who was allowed to marry," says Stephanie Coontz in a 2007 "New York Times" article. The primary reason for government control of marriage licenses remains for vital statistics recording and continues as a source of revenue for local and state governments."
I guess one could argue that drivers licenses are also nothing more than vital statistic recording and a means for enforcement of taxes and drafting. (And this happens all the time). Even in this case, it is still a law and it is morally applicable for the welfare of the state.
"Why do we have government approval for this specific Mystery and not any of the others, such as repentance, unction of the sick and communion, etc?"
Good point. I guess there are two reasons. 1. The state really doesn't care if an individual is a sinner, who is sick and seeking religious remedies of medical science (unless it becomes a threat to the general public). 2. The Constitution insists on a separation of Church and State. Thus, if the state seeks all this information, it will likely be thrown out by the Supreme Court. I think marriage licenses exist and persist because of the history of American legislature. I guess if enough religious groups challenged State marriage licenses to the Supreme court, it would be revoked. But the state does have the authority to count/hold a census, regardless of religious opposition.
"I was always taught that marriage isn't a covenant between a man and woman, but between the couple and God. Who knew God meant government?"
Of course, a marriage is a covenant between a couple and God. The government is not God. It will never be and no one will accept a theocracy in the US (and likely any other country in the world). But marriage is not exclusively beneficial to the couple and their God only. It can (and should) be a means for a government to count their citizens. It doesn't have to be, but it is helpful for the state, which in turn is helpful for the general public. Don't conflate the two reasons for marriage certificates.
Thank you for the discussion.