1. OK, now I'm curious: What shall you say is the SOURCE of 'moral authority'? Objective Reality.
2. The state is a party to all LEGAL contracts.
Again, you're the master of the obvious. The question isn't whether the state inserts itself into contracts, but whether it SHOULD. (i.e., whether it does so morally)
Mine is a legal marriage... I don't know about yours.
Would your marriage be any less real before God, if you failed to seek the permission of the state first?
Again I ask... Who is the state to demand that you seek it's permission before entering into the contract of marriage?
Is this the way free men behave?
Being well aware of 'how free men behave' I observe that they are many times rather flippant when deciding what 'facts' will be included in the determination of 'objective reality'. Therefore 'objective reality' would not seem to be a very reliable source of morality. In fact I believe using that source would put us in the pre-biblical era.
"Why do you believe that the state has the moral authority to dictate the terms and conditions of a contract to which it is not a party?"
That would depend on which state we are considering.
What shall you say is the SOURCE of 'moral authority'?
Objective Reality. Your answer.
Thanks, now I know why to ignore you.
1. OK, now I'm curious: What shall you say is the SOURCE of 'moral authority'?
Objective Reality.
Good one. You were joking, weren't you?