Maybe the government should get out of the marriage business.
Why did we ever fall for government defining marriage in the first place ?
When the government defined divorce , the divorce rate sky rocketed
Sorry not maybe get out, just get out period.
I am fine with government simply creating a statutory contract that contains a certain set of rights among two people -- any two people -- so that you can have someone in your life to make decisions like taking you off life support or getting your property if you don't have a will, etc.
But it will have nothing to do with "marriage". Marriage will be completely, 100% defined by your church.
Oneplus website writes:-”By the 1730s public opinion was beginning to turn against the clandestine marriage system with complaints in the London newspapers about the fraudulent seduction of heirs and heiresses.
In 1753 Lord Harwicke’s Marriage Act, “for the better preventing of clandestine marriages”, stipulated that no marriage other than one performed by an ordained Anglican clergyman in the premises of the Church of England after either thrice-called banns or purchase of a license from bishop or one of his surrogates was valid.
“In the case of both banns and license, at least one party had to be resident for at least three weeks in the parish where the marriage was to be celebrated. Parental consent for those under 21 was strictly enforced.
Only the Quakers and Jews managed to have their marriage rites exempted. There were strong objections to the Act – “proclamations of banns and publick marriages are against the nature and genius of our people” – wrote the Gentleman’s Magazine.”
Property rights for the wife.
Divorce exploded after the idea of "No Fault Divorce" was championed by none other than Ronald Reagan.