And a marriage certificate is needed legally for many reasons. And, yes, we Do need to go things legally.
Marriage was ordained by God (Genesis 2:23-24, Mark 10:6-9, 1 Corinthians 7, 1 Timothy 5:14, Hebrews 13:4). Speaking of marriage, Jesus himself said, "What therefore
God hath joined together, let not
man put asunder" (Mark 10:9). Yet, this is exactly what the men of government do today by saying
marriage is illegal; they put asunder the institution of marriage! Remember, if anyone does anything today without a
license from the government, it is an
illegal act; and there's a strong possibility of getting penalized, fined and imprisoned. Marriage is no exception. Marriage is illegal!
If it is God’s Will to bring two souls together in Holy Matrimony, what right does mere man have to say two souls cannot get married, until they ask the
government for
permission?! Until they pay the government their hard earned money to get a license to
exercise God’s Will? Does mere
man have authority, at law, to
interpose himself, or his purported law, between God’s Will, and to bring
punishment on a servant of Christ for
exercising God’s Law? Could it be
evil to execute the Law of God? Could it?
Since when are wedding rings pagan. Rings are exchanged to show others that marriage has taken place...
“The use of temples, and these dedicated to particular saints, and ornamented on occasions with branches of trees; incense, lamps, and candles; votive offerings on recovery from illness; holy water; asylums; holydays and seasons, use of calendars, processions, blessings on the fields; sacerdotal vestments, the tonsure,
the ring in marriage, turning to the East, images at a later date, perhaps the ecclesiastical chant, and the Kyrie Eleison,
are all of pagan origin, and sanctified by their adoption into the Church." – from “An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine” by Catholic cardinal John Henry Newman, pg. 374
...and the ring is showing that the marriage is to be never ending in God's eyes.
If so, then it should be easy for you to provide relevant scriptural support.
There might have been some pagan ritual -way back 'when'. I'll Google it to find out. But what ever it Was -- it's Now that we are living in.
For I am the LORD, I change not... (Mal. 3:6)
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. (Heb. 13:8)
Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one. (Job 14:4)
We are to put a difference between the unclean and the clean.
Actually wedding rings go back in history to the Egyptians who were captured by Alexander the Great. The Greeks adopted the practice of giving a ring to their lover to represent their devotion to each other.
Do we follow the Greeks who "spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing" (Acts 17:21), or do we "Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and [he will] receive [us]" (2 Cor. 6:17)?
No man can serve two masters.
Many of the rings had a picture of Eros or Cupid as the god of love.
Eros and cupid are
demons, dressed up all cutesy to appeal to your flesh so you won't make the connection -- as are all the gods and goddesses; any encyclopedia will confirm that.
Personally I don't see anything wrong with that. The God of the Bible is known for His love for us.
Rather, we've been shown the truth of the matter, and we are now accountable.