Well unfortunately we must “render unto Caesar “ sometimes. Maybe a religious marriage but certainly nothing government related.
My late husband’ home health nurse had been married to a military guy who died, with whom she had one child. When we knew her she was living with a guy with whom she also had a child, and they also adopted a child. She really wanted to marry the guy but would lose her husband’s pension if she did. So she contemplated having a civil/religious ceremony of marriage without getting a marriage license - to say that they are married spiritually even though they aren’t civilly. Because of the “render unto Caesar” thing I’m not sure what to think about that. Is marriage in God’s eyes the commitment and faithfulness, or is it a legal filing? If the legal filing is a witness to the rest of society so they don’t think you condone sin, then would a civil ceremony without the legal filing accomplish the same thing?
My brain doesn’t operate as well as it should; I still have the “widow’s brain” that my dr says I got when my husband was diagnosed with dementia. I wish he was here so we could talk about this; he was a pastor.