[Sean]

Originally Posted by votivesoul

And why not a prerequisite of God? Simply because He, and not the state, is the One who holds our futures. What did God's people ever do without SSI?

They had faith and trusted Him for all things.

So, to reject the state's interference in one's marriage is fine, even noble, I suppose, if it's done out of true conviction and religious devotion.

But to then turn around and doubt, and go to the very state that was previously rejected, to get a benefit from it later in life, is a reversal of the true conviction and religious devotion.

So one of two things has happened. Either the true conviction and religious devotion was a sham, and repentance for bearing false witness is required, or turning to the state for SSI benefits is morally wrong, and doing so is is wrong, therefore, requiring repentance.

This is pretty black and white. Modifying mutually exclusive beliefs to accommodate and compromise is to shipwreck the whole thing.

People are not Oneness and Trinitarians. People don't believe in speaking in tongues and are also cessationists at the same time.

A rejection of the state's place in marriage but then going to the state for marriage in order to draw state-based marriage benefits is no different.

Aaron, I had a state recognized wedding 33 years ago and I will claim benefits from it in my retirement years by collecting Social Security, and if I die my wife will get my Social Security income. I am glad I did it, because there are benefits including writing off myself and my spouse. But the origins of marriage have no State sponsorship that I can find anywhere.