I am a Christian, and I know I go agaisnt what many believe but I think that if you are committed to a person and have confessed to GOD that this is the person you want to be with then no legal marraige is needed, if I am wrong I will take GOD's punishment.
Was this confession public? Did you still go through a marriage ceremony in a church? Thats an interesting perspective....curious here. PM if needed.
I'm not so sure you will have to suffer God's punishment for having this opinion; this has really been a "gray area" for many Christians. In the Bible, the dad or his servant brought the prospective wife home, he took her into the tent and consummated the marriage. Done deal. (Just think how much was saved on the rehearsal dinner and wedding.)
But, having said that, it is plain from The Scriptures that there were certain laws, customs, ceremonies, etc. that determined that a man and woman were legally married. I could cite numerous Scriptures but no time or space to do so. Bottom Line: I think that we must "render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and unto God what is God's." (Matthew 22:21). Why not just do it right and have a clear conscience before God. The Marriage License isn't that expensive.
Agreed...although perhaps a Christian perspective would read "before God and Other Christians"...
Certainly, introducing the State into something that's a religious matter was a terrible mistake.
In Christian marriage, the couple confers the sacrament. But marriage also serves a concommitant natural and public purpose, i.e., the perpetuation of society through the generation of children, and also the healthy channeling of sexuality. Marital separations involving children are inevitable, as are disputes regarding custody of children. It is the duty of the State to resolve these disputes, necessitating public (legal) recognition of marriages.
That is one of the reasons I refuse to ever join certain women's groups, which become veritable bitching session about one's husband. I will not listen to that. If there is an issue, a woman's first response is to address it with her husband. I am loyal first and foremost to her marriage, and she should be loyal first and foremost to her husband and he to her. Her kvetching will only make the problems worse, and by listening I am contributing to the weakening of her marriage. It has taken me way to much time to understand this.
What we forget is that as a community, we have as much responsibility to help others keep their marriages together (barring gross dysfunction such as abuse, adultery, addiction etc.) as we have to our own. We pledge that for the good of our community, not only today, but in the future. It is a call for us to see our own behavior within the context of society at large, not just to our immediate circle.
I think somewhere along the way, we forgot that marriage is not only not just about us, or our spouse or even our children, but also our neighbors, friends and fellow citizens. Because of that lack of focus, we have damaged marriage to the point that it has become little more than a sexual and financial arrangement, which makes it completely transient and mostly about instant gratification. Consequences be dammed.
So while I agree that you are without a doubt right with God and that is the most fundamental building block, I think all of us need to step back and take a long view of marriage. The trouble we are having now with marriage being challenged by leftist activists is not just an outside attack. It is an outside attack that occurred because their is such weakness in the concept of the role of marriage in our society.
I got this show via Netflix. They come on three disks. Take your time you will confront more than you idea of "If I am wrong." Because the story mixes how others experience the struggle of morals as they interact with you.
Get ready for a big smackdown.