Comments on: On the Separation of Church and State http://young.anabaptistradicals.org/2007/08/16/on-the-separation-of-church-and-state/ let's activate something Sun, 14 Mar 2010 01:38:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Skylark http://young.anabaptistradicals.org/2007/08/16/on-the-separation-of-church-and-state/#comment-3025 Skylark Fri, 24 Aug 2007 13:47:47 +0000 http://young.anabaptistradicals.org/2007/08/16/on-the-separation-of-church-and-state/#comment-3025 Steve, "No place in the Bible in which the government was involved in marriage," eh? Forgive me for pointing out several of us on this blog aren't overly enthused with that line of reasoning. The thing is, I think there needs to be some way people can get married or formally commit to each other in a venue other than a church. (And gain the legal benefits currently available.) Not everyone feels comfortable in a church. Not everyone considers him/herself even moderately Christian. When we're talking about a person subverting familial and subcultural pressure about marriage, a Justice of the Peace does look an awful lot like a neutral party. Who would be a better neutral party who could conduct a marriage ceremony for anyone? Yes, I say this knowing that not everyone uses the neutral party wisely. Someone in my family recently eloped to a different state and left with the new spouse shortly thereafter. I know the heartache this causes. But I wouldn't blame that on the presence of government-run marriage officiates. It's got a lot more to do with the couple in question. Steve,
“No place in the Bible in which the government was involved in marriage,” eh? Forgive me for pointing out several of us on this blog aren’t overly enthused with that line of reasoning.

The thing is, I think there needs to be some way people can get married or formally commit to each other in a venue other than a church. (And gain the legal benefits currently available.) Not everyone feels comfortable in a church. Not everyone considers him/herself even moderately Christian. When we’re talking about a person subverting familial and subcultural pressure about marriage, a Justice of the Peace does look an awful lot like a neutral party. Who would be a better neutral party who could conduct a marriage ceremony for anyone?

Yes, I say this knowing that not everyone uses the neutral party wisely. Someone in my family recently eloped to a different state and left with the new spouse shortly thereafter. I know the heartache this causes. But I wouldn’t blame that on the presence of government-run marriage officiates. It’s got a lot more to do with the couple in question.

]]> By: SteveK http://young.anabaptistradicals.org/2007/08/16/on-the-separation-of-church-and-state/#comment-3020 SteveK Fri, 24 Aug 2007 00:25:21 +0000 http://young.anabaptistradicals.org/2007/08/16/on-the-separation-of-church-and-state/#comment-3020 I completely agree. In fact, for my homeless and mentally ill folks, the government discourages them from marrying by charging them fees that they cannot afford and by reducing benefits for married couples. So I encourage people to have a marriage before God and not the government. We would have a wedding, give them a certificate of marriage, but not involve the government in it whatsoever. There is no place in the Bible in which the government was involved in marriage, that is a leftover of Christendom. I don't feel it necessary for them to be involved at all, so why invite them to the party? Steve K I completely agree. In fact, for my homeless and mentally ill folks, the government discourages them from marrying by charging them fees that they cannot afford and by reducing benefits for married couples. So I encourage people to have a marriage before God and not the government. We would have a wedding, give them a certificate of marriage, but not involve the government in it whatsoever.

There is no place in the Bible in which the government was involved in marriage, that is a leftover of Christendom. I don’t feel it necessary for them to be involved at all, so why invite them to the party?

Steve K

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