Lawsuit Says Atheist Parolee Spent 5 Months in Jail for Not Going to Bible Study

[Warpy]

13. Horse, you got your cart on backwards

The marriage license, when signed by an officiator, grants a domestic partner full legal first degree relative status.

The officiator doean't have to be in a church. It can be an atheist judge or Justice of the Peace or somebody with a valid mail order clergy card who doesn't believe a word of the religious hooey, it can be a ship's captain.

So you can get the license, nip down the hall, find a JP with a free few minutes, have him read some soppy poetry and sign the license, and you're done, no god bothering involved.

Personally, I think the marriage should be legal as soon as the parties involved sign the license, some sort of ceremony being the icing on the wedding cake.

But this is what the OP meant about alternatives, you don't need a church or a preacher to get married. There are alternatives and it doesn't matter what they say, as long as they sign the license and signal the deed was done.