We have spent long hours thinking and praying about this issue. Although we have not been convinced of our error, due to multiple ambiguities in the law* we have decided to get a marriage license with the intention of honoring our parents.
We do not wish to get dwell on the legality of this issue, as we have many other uncontested points. We desire to respect and honor our parents, and have decided to submit to their wishes, especially since Joy is currently under her parent’s authority.
We apologize to those we have offended or hurt. This was never our goal.
Jason & Joy
* “Therefore, every marriage entered into in this state is presumed valid unless expressly made void by Chapter 6, Suit For Dissolution of Marriage”-Texas Family Code §1.101
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
On Marriage Licenses, a revision.
The more reading we did on the subject of marriage licenses, the more we realized that we wanted nothing to do with them. Before marriage licenses were available in all states, records of marriage were kept in family Bibles. The couple getting married, the pastor, and usually one other witness signed a marriage statement in the front or back of a Bible. This practice was still widely used as late as 1923. Today in Texas, such a marriage certificate is legally binding and holds as much weight in a court of law as a marriage license does. This is crucial to the point that we are trying to make.
If you look up the definition for marriage license, there is only one description: a license authorizing a man and a woman to marry. We do not feel the need to ask the state to authorize our marriage. What is interesting is that the state does not require us to ask for this authorization, either. We will not be breaking any law. We simply desire to put Christ first.
We do not want to get a marriage license, however, we do desire a marriage certificate.
The fundamental difference is that we do not believe that the states authority is greater then Gods. We do not believe that we need to ask the state for permission to get married. We do not believe that the state should be involved in any of Gods institutions. We would be appalled if the state regulated baptism, or taxed communion. This is the same principal.
Marriage is an institution created by God and therefore is holy. Since it is the model of Christ’s love for the Church, and, thereby, our means of salvation, it is the most Holy institution. God says that marriage is a covenant, one witnessed and sealed by Him.
The Bible tells us that there are two important requirements for marriage. The two parties should be equally yoked, [2 Corinthians 6:14] and there should be witnesses. Ruth 4:9-12 shows this applies, specifically when Boaz seeks out witnesses to secure his right to marry Ruth. There, the witnesses even pronounce a marriage blessing on them.
Historically, all the states in America had laws outlawing the marriage of blacks and whites. In the mid-1800’s, certain states began allowing mixed couples to marry, as long as those marrying received a license from the state. The problem is that these new marriage licenses had many un-Biblical stipulations.
As recently as 1967, it was illegal in many states for couples of mixed race to receive a marriage license.
Today, Christians make up one of the largest factions of American voters. Everyone, Republican, Democrat, Communist, and Constitutionalist, wants their vote. Christians are nothing more then a demographic to politicians. When push comes to shove, Christian values are tossed to the wayside. Christian arguments are not the ones being pushed in the courts. If a politician tried to argue that gay marriage should be banned because it is an abomination to the Lord, he would be laughed out of the courtroom. A great example of this is Washington state. Washington’s anti-gay marriage ban was not pro God, it was pro procreation. Religion was tossed to the side, and naturalists and biologists were brought before the court. God had nothing to do with Washington States gay marriage ban.
We did not even need to look as statistics, although we did anyway, to know that we wanted nothing to do with the customs of the day. In the past few months, many of our friends asked us why we were not abiding by the customs of the day. We have an answer. The customs of the day are a gross abomination to God. The custom of the day is to live together for a while “to make sure you really want to get married.” The custom of the day is to get a divorce as soon as things look rough, or you are getting bored. (This has become the only place anyone in this day and age actually cares about a marriage license.) We have decided to not live together and to not have sex, even though it is the custom of the day.
We want our marriage to be a shining light to the world. We want our marriage to be a mirror that would reflect Christ’s relationship with the church. We want our friends to look at us and see that we are different then the couple on TV. We want our marriage to be a witness, and one way for that to happen is if we choose to be slightly different and make a point about the severity and eternal consequences of such a union.
The more reading we did on the subject of marriage licenses, the more we realized that we wanted nothing to do with them. Before marriage licenses were available in all states, records of marriage were kept in family Bibles. The couple getting married, the pastor, and usually one other witness signed a marriage statement in the front or back of a Bible. This practice was still widely used as late as 1923. Today in Texas, such a marriage certificate is legally binding and holds as much weight in a court of law as a marriage license does. This is crucial to the point that we are trying to make.
If you look up the definition for marriage license, there is only one description: a license authorizing a man and a woman to marry. We do not feel the need to ask the state to authorize our marriage. What is interesting is that the state does not require us to ask for this authorization, either. We will not be breaking any law. We simply desire to put Christ first.
We do not want to get a marriage license, however, we do desire a marriage certificate.
The fundamental difference is that we do not believe that the states authority is greater then Gods. We do not believe that we need to ask the state for permission to get married. We do not believe that the state should be involved in any of Gods institutions. We would be appalled if the state regulated baptism, or taxed communion. This is the same principal.
Marriage is an institution created by God and therefore is holy. Since it is the model of Christ’s love for the Church, and, thereby, our means of salvation, it is the most Holy institution. God says that marriage is a covenant, one witnessed and sealed by Him.
The Bible tells us that there are two important requirements for marriage. The two parties should be equally yoked, [2 Corinthians 6:14] and there should be witnesses. Ruth 4:9-12 shows this applies, specifically when Boaz seeks out witnesses to secure his right to marry Ruth. There, the witnesses even pronounce a marriage blessing on them.
Historically, all the states in America had laws outlawing the marriage of blacks and whites. In the mid-1800’s, certain states began allowing mixed couples to marry, as long as those marrying received a license from the state. The problem is that these new marriage licenses had many un-Biblical stipulations.
As recently as 1967, it was illegal in many states for couples of mixed race to receive a marriage license.
Today, Christians make up one of the largest factions of American voters. Everyone, Republican, Democrat, Communist, and Constitutionalist, wants their vote. Christians are nothing more then a demographic to politicians. When push comes to shove, Christian values are tossed to the wayside. Christian arguments are not the ones being pushed in the courts. If a politician tried to argue that gay marriage should be banned because it is an abomination to the Lord, he would be laughed out of the courtroom. A great example of this is Washington state. Washington’s anti-gay marriage ban was not pro God, it was pro procreation. Religion was tossed to the side, and naturalists and biologists were brought before the court. God had nothing to do with Washington States gay marriage ban.
We did not even need to look as statistics, although we did anyway, to know that we wanted nothing to do with the customs of the day. In the past few months, many of our friends asked us why we were not abiding by the customs of the day. We have an answer. The customs of the day are a gross abomination to God. The custom of the day is to live together for a while “to make sure you really want to get married.” The custom of the day is to get a divorce as soon as things look rough, or you are getting bored. (This has become the only place anyone in this day and age actually cares about a marriage license.) We have decided to not live together and to not have sex, even though it is the custom of the day.
We want our marriage to be a shining light to the world. We want our marriage to be a mirror that would reflect Christ’s relationship with the church. We want our friends to look at us and see that we are different then the couple on TV. We want our marriage to be a witness, and one way for that to happen is if we choose to be slightly different and make a point about the severity and eternal consequences of such a union.
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