SOVEREIGN CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE
Forms #06.009

155 pages; 6 chapters Click here for sample History of changes

The Sovereign Christian Marriage book explains the legal and spiritual foundations of marriage.  It explains in detail why you don't want to get married with a marriage license.  It provides forms and instructions that show you how to get an entirely ecclesiastical marriage that is completely free from state involvement or a state marriage license, but which retains all of the essential advantages of a marriage license by replacing it with a private contract between the two parties. The book is absolutely essential for: The freedom-minded individual who wants to start a family that is completely separated from the government and the state. Current or prospective families where one or both spouses are "nontaxpayers" and the taxpaying spouse does not want to be the target of IRS enforcement actions against the "nontaxpaying" spouse.  Without the protections afforded by the techniques in this book, the persecution of innocent spouses caused by illegal IRS and state enforcement can and often does lead to divorce. It is based on personal experience and contains many practical observations and legal pointers that will help you to achieve your goal of a sovereign marriage. Applicable both in states that have common law marriage and even in those states that don't recognize it, such as California and Oregon. There is no other book like this book that we have been able to find after much searching, which is why we wrote it to begin with and decided to make it available to the public.

The book is provided only in electronic format.  You can easily and inexpensively make your own paper copy of the book at any Kinkos or printing store if you follow the instructions on its cover sheet.

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Below is a complete outline of the content of this very extensive work:

  PREFACE

Revision History

Table of Contents

Table of Authorities

Cases

Statutes

Regulations

Other Authorities

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1  Dedication

1.2  Sovereign Christian Marriage

1.3  Common clergy objections to the approach in this document

1.4  Factors contributing to the Requirement for a Sovereign Christian Marriage by Either Prospective Spouse

2. SPIRITUAL FOUNDATIONS OF CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE

2.1  Sovereignty
2.2  Adam and Eve: The First Marriage
2.3  Biblical Purpose of Marriage
2.4  Holy Matrimony v. State "Marriage"
2.5  State Marriage Licenses as a "Doctrine of Men" (Mark 7:6-9)
2.6  5 Reasons Why Christians Should Not Obtain a State Marriage License

2.6.1 Reason #1:  The definition of a "license" demands that we NOT obtain one to marry

2.6.2 Reason #2:  When you marry with a marriage license, you grant the State jurisdiction over your marriage

2.6.3 Reason #3:  When you marry with a marriage license, you place yourself under a body of law which is
        immoral

2.6.4 Reason #4:  The marriage license invades and removes God-given parental authority

2.6.5 Reason #5:  When you marry with a marriage license, you are like a polygamist

2.6.6 When Does the State Have Jurisdiction Over a Marriage?

2.7  What Should We Do?

3. SUMMARY OF STATE MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE LAWS

3.1 History of Marriage Licenses In America

3.2  What exactly is the state "licensing" with a marriage license?

3.2.1  What's going on?

3.2.2  Marriage

3.2.3  Marriage License

3.2.4  Legal & Lawful Marriage

3.2.5  Taking your Family back

3.2.6  Re-tie Family Ties

3.3 Requirements for Legal Marriage in California

3.3.1  Statutory Requirements for a Valid Marriage

3.3.1.1  No "common law marriage"

3.3.1.2  Capacity to marry

3.3.1.2.1  Age of lawful consent and "not otherwise disqualified"

3.3.1.2.2  Minors

3.3.1.2.3  Opposite-sex parties only

3.3.1.3  Confidential marriage

3.3.1.4  Solemnization

3.3.1.4.1  Exception for marriage under canon law

3.3.2  Validity of Foreign Marriages

3.3.2.1  Deference to law of contracting jurisdiction

3.3.2.1.1  Out-of-state "common law marriage"

3.3.2.1.2  Incestuous marriage

3.3.2.1.3  Out-of-state marriage to evade local law

3.3.2.2  Special rule where no applicable law in contracting jurisdiction

3.3.2.2.1  Public policy exception to choice of law rule

3.3.2.2.2  Exception re out-of-state same-sex marriages

3.4  Common Law Marriage

3.4.1 What's Legally Valid and What's Not

3.4.2  "Recognized" versus "Unlawful"

3.4.3  Validity of Marriage

3.4.4  Why has Common Law Marriage acquired a dubious reputation?

3.4.5  Pretending To Be Married

3.4.6  Property and Custody Rights

3.4.7  Proving Your Marriage

3.4.8  More on Common Law Marriage

3.4.9  Reference Material

3.5  Interstate Divorce

3.6  Marriage License Issuance and Recording Requirements

3.7  California Default Pre-Nuptial Agreement

4. WHY STATE MARRIAGE LICENSES VIOLATE GOD'S LAWS AND MAKE THINGS WORSE

4.1   Biblical Law:  The Foundation of ALL Law

4.2   Role of Law

4.3   Government as idolatry/religion

4.4   Where the ways of the world and a corrupted government have taken us

4.5   Cultural History

4.6   The Female Need for Economic Security: Idolatry and slavery

4.7   How Women Abuse Domestic Violence Laws to Abuse and Enslave Men

4.8   What Causes State-Licensed Marriages to Fail?

4.9   Civil Disobedience to Corrupt Governments is a Biblical Mandate

4.10 The Liberty of Conscience:  Civil Disobedience In Light of Romans 13:1-7

4.10.1  Martin Luther's Courageous Stand Against Tyranny at the Diet of Worms

4.10.2  The Historic Reformed Interpretation of Romans 13:1-7
4.10.3  Does the Civil Magistrate Ever Cease to be a "Minister of God"?

4.10.4  Loyalty to God Must Always Take Precedence Over Obedience to Men
4.10.5  Tragic Effects of Biblical Misinterpretation on Germany's Churches

4.10.6  Our Government Was a Result of "Revolt" Against the British Crown

4.10.7  Citizens of the States Are Not Under the Jurisdiction of Federal Law

4.11 How Can We Remedy the Deficiencies of a State Marriage License?

5. REBUTTED OBJECTIONS TO SOVEREIGN CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE

5.1 Clergy Objections

5.1.1  1 Peter 2:13-17: "Honouring the king"

5.1.2  State marriage laws PUNISH spouses who don't work things out, which incentivizes more stable families

5.1.3  Without Using the Force of Law, Our Divorce Rate Would Go Up and the Stability of All Church Families

         Would be Threatened

5.1.4  Questions for Clergy Who Object to Sovereign Christian Marriage

5.2  Fiance Objections

5.3  Example Dialog between future prospective spouses

5.4  Societal objections

6. MARRIAGE RESOURCES

6.1  Instructional Video

6.2  Sample Wedding Ceremony

6.3  A Poem for the Marriage Day

6.4  A Marriage Benediction

6.5  How to properly protect property interest within a Sovereign Christian Marriage

6.6  Marriage Contract Without Marriage License

6.6.1 Public Notice of Patriarchal Marriage

6.6.2 Contract

6.6.2 Certificate of Marriage

6.7  Marriage Contract with Confidential Marriage License (for difficult pastors and clergy)

6.8  Marriage Ceretificate

7. RESOURCES FOR FURTHER READING AND RESEARCH