Society consents to elect the government the arbiter of marriage when it fails, because it is the logical, presumably objective, party to do so. (Who else is to be the decider of things that MUST be decided when things go wrong in a marriage or one party dies?) And to arbitrate, it must define the substance of the case: marriage. What it defines (and marriage is ALREADY defined by eons of societies) it has every right to license, which isn't really a "license" in the proper use of the word, but a recording fee.
First of all Government should not be recognizing any marriages. They should only deal with contract law. Marriage should be stricken from any Government lexicon, thats what I am trying to say. If I want to have 10 wifes,why cant I? Why government wont recognize it?! King Solomon had many wifes,and I can have children with all of them. (Unlike homosexuality, having multiple wifes is natural and was done by kings in Biblical time) However, I can sleep and have children with 20 woman,and Government says nothing. But No,if I wanna register It officially,it becomes Illegal. Why? As conservative, I want government to have very limited effect on my life,including who I can or can’t Marry.
“And to arbitrate, it must define the substance of the case: marriage. What it defines (and marriage is ALREADY defined by eons of societies) it has every right to license, which isn’t really a “license” in the proper use of the word, but a recording fee.”
The definition the state uses, at least in modern times, is simply whatever judges, pols or the majority think it can be at any one time, though. Many have been conditioned to think that the institution comes from the state, 40% in a recent poll. This is wonderful for statists and homosexualists. Because if folks think marriage comes from the state, they will accept whatever impossibility the state puts forth as marriage that year, and society can then be manipulated through gubbermental rewards and punishments that already exist concerning gov’t recognition of the institution.
Marriage will never be let go by the state, in my opinion. They will never give up the power to punish those who look to their faith to define the institution, intead of pieces of paper issued to folks the state claims can be married. Same thing with charity and education, in my opinion. Although I think you are right in that there is more of a case to be made for state involvement in marriage to some degree than in charity and education.
Freegards