We need to relabel marriages as Traditional Marriage and Happy Marriage.
Back in the day, before state-issued marriage licenses, the legal documentation for a marriage would simply be Church records and family Bibles. Other congregation members could certainly testify to a marriage, as well.
In court these were considered evidence of married status.
Nowadays, we have a big legal mess, where the Constitution’s meaning has been forgotten, along with the legal basis for it. The first Amendment freedom of religion clause is based on the Biblically-compatible view of the American leadership in the 1600’s to 1700’s that Churches were not under the authority of the government, since Biblically, Jesus Christ is the head of his Church. This basis of reasoning was not included in the first Amendment, however, as the framers assumed in this Amendment as throughout the entire Constitution, early on, that future leaders debating such issues would be well educated and therefore not ignorant of the history in Europe leading up to the American Revolution. Future leaders of society, i.e., lawyers, Congressman, etc., would have to maintain the U.S. Constitition on their own, as one day the original framers would all have passed on.
Therefore, historically, Churches did not file tax returns or register for tax id’s, nor did municipalities issue marriage licenses, nor did States or the Federal government dictate to Churches about their preaching or force citizens to obtain State-issued licenses to marry. Put simply, all marriages were performed by pastors. When one wanted to marry, one needed to seek out a pastor.
But now, we have turned away from God, we have turned to false idols, vanity and immorality. The U.S. Constitution has simply become a way to avoid God’s law rather than give Americans the freedom to follow it. The nations of Europe are in much the same mess.
Perhaps I’ve been asleep at the switch, but has a federal judge ruled the DOMA unconstitutional? When and by what judge and federal court district? Thanks for your reply.