I disagree, the government does have an interest in marriage.
Rights of our youngest citizens must be maintained. There is no question that, on all measurable levels, children are best cared for by a married man and woman who are their parents.
Marriage is also a protection for women who are otherwise too vulnerable when pregnant or with a small child.
Alimony is not a joke. Women give up lots of income to stay with their husbands, do their wifely role, and do the majority of the child care. Without the protection of marriage, we have far more abuse of women as sex toys/ baby makers who give up their independence and can never recoup their loss once cut off.
There is the importance of power of attorney, not needing to be formalized, and even criminal applications.
To pretend that government has no interest in legitimate, legal, committed marriage is very short sighted. Bigamy must be indefensible, adultery must be punishable, abandonment must have ramifications. You ignore the history of the entire human race, both good and bad, to deny the bedrock importance of legitimate marriage. And you are dancing to our enemies’ tune.
Your idea is of a benevolent giant government who takes care of us all... how romantic.
“Rights of our youngest citizens must be maintained. There is no question that, on all measurable levels, children are best cared for by a married man and woman who are their parents.”
I do not understand your point. Are you implying that the government’s presence is keeping the institution of marriage alive?
“Without the protection of marriage, we have far more abuse of women as sex toys/ baby makers who give up their independence and can never recoup their loss once cut off.”
It is about individual responsibility. If a woman cannot discern between a bad husband and a good one, then how is the government going to protect her from her judgment?
“There is the importance of power of attorney, not needing to be formalized, and even criminal applications.”
Again, it is about individual responsibility. You lay it down yourself rather than let government decide who is “authorized”.
“You ignore the history of the entire human race, both good and bad, to deny the bedrock importance of legitimate marriage.”
Again, how is getting the government out of marriage making marriage any less legitimate? Is a government stamp going to make my marriage any more legitimate? Were people back in old times bastards because the government was not issuing them marriage licenses?
“And you are dancing to our enemies’ tune.”
No, you are sounding like a big-government-pseudo-conservative. It is perfectly fine for government to grow big if it fits your agenda. Sounds a lot like liberal enemies to me.