Dezi
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Post by Dezi on May 16, 2019 15:17:09 GMT -5
I am asking if anyone knows about this. I was in another Christian Forum once and they spoke about getting married and that you don't have to do it legally. Having a minister is not required according to the Bible to marry someone. It is based on your word. I was wondering if anyone here knows this for sure?
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PG4Him
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Post by PG4Him on May 16, 2019 15:29:57 GMT -5
Well, a minister who records your vows before God is different from the legal job of filing marriage papers. A legal marriage license as we know it was invented a hundred years ago to stop inter-racial and other “undesirable” marriages. It was supposed to help create a progressive utopia. Before then people simply got married in church and the government didn’t much care.
However, it was always important to do the ceremony with a minister. For one thing, it provides accountability in that a pastor/elder witnessed you pledging your life to your spouse. For another thing, it’s a chance for the elders to “lay hands” on your marriage and bless it through their anointing. For a third, the minister is SUPPOSED to meet with the couple for an interview to confirm everything is on the level, they both understand the ramifications, and they know they are making a vow before God. Every civilized culture had some sort of priest or patriarch who performed marriages.
I don’t think it’s wise to tell a couple of teenagers they can move in together and call themselves married. If he won’t say it in front of a minister, he likely doesn’t mean it.
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Post by John on May 16, 2019 16:08:44 GMT -5
Candance makes a lot of good points. The state didn't create marriage, God did. As such, having a state issued marriage license is not necessary to be married in the eyes of God. I have gotten pretty sour on state marriage licenses since they started joining homosexual couples and calling them married. Why would God care if you have the blessings of a government that has perverted marriage?
At the same time, one has to ask themselves why they don't want a marriage license? Is it because they are afraid of commitment, and they want to be able to bail if things aren't going good? If any person is going to go the route of not having a state issued marriage license, but are simply going to call it a marriage in the sight of God, know that God knows the couple's heart. If they call it a marriage, and then later split up, they are under the same obligations a married couple is when it comes to following God's requirements to re-marry. It is till death do they part as far as God is concerned unless adultery has taken place.
I personally feel like if a person wants to marry without a state marriage license, they should still have a ceremony with witnesses present, and the church should give them some kind of paper stating they are married in the sight of God. One draw back is the issue of last name. For the sake of children born into this marriage, and to avoid confusion, it works better if the woman has the same last name as her husband. Of course, that can be changed legally without having a marriage license. The biggest thing to me, is think about if this is really a marriage? I do know of couples that have no license that do consider themselves married to the person they are living with, and have been with them for many years.
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Dezi
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Posts: 431
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Post by Dezi on May 16, 2019 16:37:49 GMT -5
Candance makes a lot of good points. The state didn't create marriage, God did. As such, having a state issued marriage license is not necessary to be married in the eyes of God. I have gotten pretty sour on state marriage licenses since they started joining homosexual couples and calling them married. Why would God care if you have the blessings of a government that has perverted marriage?
At the same time, one has to ask themselves why they don't want a marriage license? Is it because they are afraid of commitment, and they want to be able to bail if things aren't going good? If any person is going to go the route of not having a state issued marriage license, but are simply going to call it a marriage in the sight of God, know that God knows the couple's heart. If they call it a marriage, and then later split up, they are under the same obligations a married couple is when it comes to following God's requirements to re-marry. It is till death do they part as far as God is concerned unless adultery has taken place.
I personally feel like if a person wants to marry without a state marriage license, they should still have a ceremony with witnesses present, and the church should give them some kind of paper stating they are married in the sight of God. One draw back is the issue of last name. For the sake of children born into this marriage, and to avoid confusion, it works better if the woman has the same last name as her husband. Of course, that can be changed legally without having a marriage license. The biggest thing to me, is think about if this is really a marriage? I do know of couples that have no license that do consider themselves married to the person they are living with, and have been with them for many years.
I am considering this for myself. I have been married before and want to marry again soon. I just wanted to hear others perspectives on the issue. I feel like I don't need any government being head over my marriage. When we create a marriage licence with the State they then are part of the marriage, which I don't like. We also give the State rights to our children when we make a birth certificate. There are a lot of things I disagree with when it comes to being a citizen etc... Thanks for the input.
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Post by John on May 16, 2019 16:57:22 GMT -5
Candance makes a lot of good points. The state didn't create marriage, God did. As such, having a state issued marriage license is not necessary to be married in the eyes of God. I have gotten pretty sour on state marriage licenses since they started joining homosexual couples and calling them married. Why would God care if you have the blessings of a government that has perverted marriage?
At the same time, one has to ask themselves why they don't want a marriage license? Is it because they are afraid of commitment, and they want to be able to bail if things aren't going good? If any person is going to go the route of not having a state issued marriage license, but are simply going to call it a marriage in the sight of God, know that God knows the couple's heart. If they call it a marriage, and then later split up, they are under the same obligations a married couple is when it comes to following God's requirements to re-marry. It is till death do they part as far as God is concerned unless adultery has taken place.
I personally feel like if a person wants to marry without a state marriage license, they should still have a ceremony with witnesses present, and the church should give them some kind of paper stating they are married in the sight of God. One draw back is the issue of last name. For the sake of children born into this marriage, and to avoid confusion, it works better if the woman has the same last name as her husband. Of course, that can be changed legally without having a marriage license. The biggest thing to me, is think about if this is really a marriage? I do know of couples that have no license that do consider themselves married to the person they are living with, and have been with them for many years.
I am considering this for myself. I have been married before and want to marry again soon. I just wanted to hear others perspectives on the issue. I feel like I don't need any government being head over my marriage. When we create a marriage licence with the State they then are part of the marriage, which I don't like. We also give the State rights to our children when we make a birth certificate. There are a lot of things I disagree with when it comes to being a citizen etc... Thanks for the input. I understand your concerns. People just need to understand that when they enter into a marriage covenant in the sight of God, state license or not, God sees them as married, so any divorce and re-marriage that might take place, saving for the cause of fornication is adultery in the sight of God. A person can't go around saying they are married but have no license today, split up and then claim they were never married, but were in fornication. You are speaking from the standpoint of having genuine concerns about an overreaching, and sin promoting Government having a hand in your marriage.
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Dezi
Junior Member
Posts: 431
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Post by Dezi on May 16, 2019 17:36:52 GMT -5
I am considering this for myself. I have been married before and want to marry again soon. I just wanted to hear others perspectives on the issue. I feel like I don't need any government being head over my marriage. When we create a marriage licence with the State they then are part of the marriage, which I don't like. We also give the State rights to our children when we make a birth certificate. There are a lot of things I disagree with when it comes to being a citizen etc... Thanks for the input. I understand your concerns. People just need to understand that when they enter into a marriage covenant in the sight of God, state license or not, God sees them as married, so any divorce and re-marriage that might take place, saving for the cause of fornication is adultery in the sight of God. A person can't go around saying they are married but have no license today, split up and then claim they were never married, but were in fornication. You are speaking from the standpoint of having genuine concerns about an overreaching, and sin promoting Government having a hand in your marriage.
Yes... I want to do it before God but if you have a ordained minister do it ... they can get in trouble if it's not done legally.
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Post by John on May 16, 2019 17:41:18 GMT -5
I understand your concerns. People just need to understand that when they enter into a marriage covenant in the sight of God, state license or not, God sees them as married, so any divorce and re-marriage that might take place, saving for the cause of fornication is adultery in the sight of God. A person can't go around saying they are married but have no license today, split up and then claim they were never married, but were in fornication. You are speaking from the standpoint of having genuine concerns about an overreaching, and sin promoting Government having a hand in your marriage.
Yes... I want to do it before God but if you have a ordained minister do it ... they can get in trouble if it's not done legally. If they pretend it is a legal marriage, it would be fraud, but I don't see how any minister could get in trouble for performing marriages without a license if everyone was up front about it.
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Dezi
Junior Member
Posts: 431
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Post by Dezi on May 16, 2019 17:44:25 GMT -5
Yes... I want to do it before God but if you have a ordained minister do it ... they can get in trouble if it's not done legally. If they pretend it is a legal marriage, it would be fraud, but I don't see how any minister could get in trouble for performing marriages without a license if everyone was up front about it.
I am thinking all that one really has to do is Vow in front of others that they are marrying someone and then it is done. I don't see anywhere in the Bible where they have to do anything more... but maybe I am wrong? My commitment to someone is just the same whether I do it in a Church or not. I don't see why there has to be any ceremony. If I am wrong please show me?
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PG4Him
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Post by PG4Him on May 16, 2019 17:52:13 GMT -5
I don’t believe you have to get a licensed/ordained minister for a wedding. In countries where Christianity is illegal, there are no licensed Christian ministers. As I see it, the main thing is to have some kind of ceremony with an elder or shepherd you trust. Make it official before God and man even if it’s not official with the state. I would consider people married if they did that.
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Post by John on May 16, 2019 17:55:00 GMT -5
If they pretend it is a legal marriage, it would be fraud, but I don't see how any minister could get in trouble for performing marriages without a license if everyone was up front about it.
I am thinking all that one really has to do is Vow in front of others that they are marrying someone and then it is done. I don't see anywhere in the Bible where they have to do anything more... but maybe I am wrong? My commitment to someone is just the same whether I do it in a Church or not. I don't see why there has to be any ceremony. If I am wrong please show me? I am not aware of any command it be done that way, but marriages were not done in private in the Bible, that I am aware of. The wedding Jesus attended was a lavish event. At the same time, I have heard of people getting married by simply writing something in a Bible showing the date the commitment was made and the name of the bride and groom. One thing I would say is that I don't personally put that much credence in the arguments about the state having claims on your children. There is no reason to believe that the state won't interfere, simply because you don't have a marriage license. The government does pretty much what it can get away with. Seriously pray about it. Make sure you and the person you marry are both fully committed to the marriage and have no reservations about a marriage done in secret.
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Post by John on May 16, 2019 17:58:04 GMT -5
I don’t believe you have to get a licensed/ordained minister for a wedding. In countries where Christianity is illegal, there are no licensed Christian ministers. As I see it, the main thing is to have some kind of ceremony with an elder or shepherd you trust. Make it official before God and man even if it’s not official with the state. I would consider people married if they did that. I would consider them married if there was a ceremony but no state license too. We hear those stories about people being married by someone not qualified to perform wedding ceremonies, without their knowledge. Does that mean they were never married? Of course not, at least not in the sight of God. In the sight of the state, it isn't legal, but so what?
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Post by John on May 16, 2019 18:00:01 GMT -5
Along the same lines, just because the state recognizes a marriage, that doesn't mean God does. I don't accept homosexual marriages as legitimate, license or no license. God doesn't see the man or woman married multiple times over and divorced for silly reasons as being ok in his sight either.
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Post by frienduff on May 16, 2019 20:15:17 GMT -5
Along the same lines, just because the state recognizes a marriage, that doesn't mean God does. I don't accept homosexual marriages as legitimate, license or no license. God doesn't see the man or woman married multiple times over and divorced for silly reasons as being ok in his sight either.
This may sound harsh , but it is true . if a man marries a man or a woman marries a woman , That marriage is recognized and done with satans love ring . Flat out , if the LORD don't accept it , we don't accept it . That goes for any sin also . GOD will never recognize gay marriage , but here is the kicker he will never recognize an adulterous remarriage either . And folks need to KNOW THAT . SO STAY MARRIED , no half hearting it with the idea oh if it don't work out we can annul it .
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Post by John on May 17, 2019 6:26:13 GMT -5
Along the same lines, just because the state recognizes a marriage, that doesn't mean God does. I don't accept homosexual marriages as legitimate, license or no license. God doesn't see the man or woman married multiple times over and divorced for silly reasons as being ok in his sight either.
This may sound harsh , but it is true . if a man marries a man or a woman marries a woman , That marriage is recognized and done with satans love ring . Flat out , if the LORD don't accept it , we don't accept it . That goes for any sin also . GOD will never recognize gay marriage , but here is the kicker he will never recognize an adulterous remarriage either . And folks need to KNOW THAT . SO STAY MARRIED , no half hearting it with the idea oh if it don't work out we can annul it .
I don't see what you said as being harsh, but based on what Jesus said to the woman at the well, I do believe he recognizes any marriages between a man and a woman. That doesn't mean he approves of them. Jesus made it clear that if you divorce for any reason besides fornication (adultery), and then re-marry, you are guilty of committing adultery. That is real, and we need to take heed, but I do see a distinction between that and a marriage between two men, two women, a man or woman with an animal or object. That is not marriage to begin with. That is man trying to re-define marriage and giving out a piece of paper that is supposed to show it is real.
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PG4Him
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Post by PG4Him on May 17, 2019 7:40:02 GMT -5
Even aside from issues of adultery or remarriage, it’s important for us to know how the Bible describes a proper marriage. The time-honored vows of “love, honor, and obey” are falling to the wayside. Some couples no longer say “until death do us part” or “as long as we both live” anymore. Vows some people say these days are little more than “I’ll be your faithful friend for a really long time.”
If we’re serious about being married before God, we’d best be sure we fully understand the Bible on marriage. Our prayers can be hindered if we’re not careful.
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