[TheDon]

"If we aren't living in a nation that dutifully respects the god given rights of each of its citizens then a government supplied contract is going to do little to help that."

Tell that to the kids receiving child support from fathers whose pay is being attached for failing to provide for his kids after a divorce. The point you are trying to dismiss is the reason the gov't keeps track of who marries who. It is fundamentally different than other religious rights, in which the gov't has no interest.

[avg_freeper]

Isn't child support based on paternity regardless of the state of marriage. But I admit there are other special situations in which a government granted marriage license might be used, like dispensing with someone's will after they die.