Who Owns Marriage, Indeed

Today I watched the above sermon beginning to end, and I would like to provide some feedback based upon what I observed. First off, I appreciate this video being posted by a good friend of mine, Mr. Randy Dye. Randy has been instrumental in the movement to restore liberty to this land. He is a fellow patriot. Though I may not fully agree with the end activity promoted by this video, I'm thankful for this man, his family, and the fact that this church is wanting to at least "do something."

During the first three quarters of the sermon, the pastor, referencing scripture all the way, speaks out about what the Bible says marriage should be and it is indeed clear that marriage was ordained by God to strictly be between a man and a woman. He pounds this home and I agree and support the stance and the Biblical perspective 100%. I applaud his taking a stand, and actually wanting to get involved. Like it is said near the end of the clip, the church has been sitting for far too long. However there are some deeper issues which are addressed only briefly by the woman at the end of this video which I believe are VERY important, and should be looked at a little closer. I think a lot of Christians are voting for this amendment out of excitement at the rare opportunity of standing up for what they believe in, and also excitement because they believe it fights something they know is wrong. Yet, I also believe that this excitement is overpowering their ability to "look before they leap" -- to first consider the consequences of allowing the government to continue sticking its nose into business which it ought not be in in the first place. Twice during this video (4:40 & 52:15) it is mentioned that before the government ever got involved, God alone had ordained marriage for his people. The woman at the end says, "...from Adam and Eve, they were married. It was not legislation. It was not a marriage license. It was God." Later again at the 53 and 54 minute marks she brings up several of the government sanctioned "benefits" that didn't even exist prior to the government being involved. Amen! So, we see here, bright and clear, a very important ROOT issue. But when you compare this to the ultimate "action" promoted by this sermon, there appears to be a contradiction. To me it looks like we are saying that it's a God thing, but yet we are participating in a venue which says otherwise. We're saying that it's a marriage because God says it is, and yet we care greatly that the government also promotes one or the other. And we think that there is actual authority placed in the form of a vote to say one way or another, when it's really up to God. Make sense? It's kind of like we're serving two masters here.

Toward the end the pastor here tells the story about Bob Jones losing their tax exempt status and at 48:20 he says that, "if this passes, folks....there's a chance...that this would be a hate crime if I were to preach this sermon today...we would lose our tax exempt status and we'd have to pay $30,000-$40,000 to the government." Firstly, I think this 501c3 status would be a fantastic thing to lose! This is a root issue that ought to be discussed. Would the church be having this problem if it weren't a 501c3 church and its pulpit was no longer under restriction by the government? Stay with me, this gets a little technical. If you read the 501c3 (non-profit) paperwork, you will see that even the IRS admits that churches are tax exempt by their very nature, pursuant to IRS Publication 526, and IRS Code § 170(c)(2)(B). So why is a 501c3 status even required? It's not! Again, let's dig a little deeper. I'm also wondering if by preaching about the marriage amendment in the first place, this in and of itself is a violation of the 501c3 status agreement. See section VIII, part 2a & 2b of IRS form 1023 which requests Form 5768 to be filled out. Then check out Form 5768. Under the general instructions you see the words, "Section 501(c)(3) states that an organization exempt under that section will lose its tax-exempt status and its qualification to receive deductive charitable contributions if a substantial part of its activities are carried on to influence legislation." In other words, you want to affect change? Fine, you are no longer tax exempt. Now, does a single sermon qualify as "substantial?" I'm not so sure. But the point is, the power to influence what is preached behind the pulpit is in the hands of the government. And it ought not be that way. The 501(c)3 status is bad for churches. Check out HushMoney.org. They've got some great information on this topic.

The pastor also says that they would "have to" pay the government thousands of dollars, but if it does become a hate crime to preach against homosexuality, shouldn't churches be the first to resist such payments/tyranny? If we're going to start "fighting" things, we really need to get this "have to" attitude out of our minds. NO, we don't HAVE TO. We should fear God, not the government (our servant). It's not easy, but at some point, we've got to draw the line and say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

I believe many Christians are being deceived by things like this simply because it appears on its surface to support their beliefs. However, we need to ask ourselves whether this amendment coincides with the Constitution's original intent and limited powers that we have delegated to the government. Do we want to further confirm, by our vote, that the government DOES indeed have a place in the institution of marriage?

At minute mark 53:00 the above video states, "it comes down, simply, to money." Homosexual couples want those "privileges" and "benefits" which our government has granted to heterosexual couples. So, if these benefits did not exist, would the 'gay agenda' be clamoring for them? Again, if we would tell the government (our servant) not to get involved in marriage AT ALL, this 'special treatment' would not exist, for anyone! If I were to vote, that's what I would vote for -- to get the government out of marriage altogether. I believe that then, the push for legally attacking the traditional marriage would not be as strong, and the opposition would not have as much need to do so. The attacks would only exist within our society through immorality, which they always will, until God returns. No law can change that.

I don't believe any law will ever stop immorality or homosexual unions. They have existed from the dawn of mankind. The heart of man is desperately wicked and repentance must start in the soul. I don't think any of this should be in the hands of the government. In my 30 years I've seen that group of folks mess up far too many things to be trusted with something like this.

You cannot legislate morality, and there are plenty of other ways to affect change in society without building another fence around it.

Voting is only one method by which we protect our liberties. Asserting our rights is another. This is where the legal system comes into play. I call it resistance with a legal foundation. In August of 2009, after much study, thought and prayer, my future wife and I asserted our right to be married through the vehicle of a covenant marriage. We did this without the permission of the government because we believe this right is inherent and God given, and because we believe God would not be pleased if we participated in asking permission for something He ordained in the first place. A state-licensed marriage does NOT a marriage make. God created this institution and so we believe that it is no right of the government to interfere. We've had to face personal sacrifice as a result of our decisions. In fact, the de facto NC state government does not recognize our marriage, in much the same way as they do not currently recognize a homosexual marriage, with or without the passing of this amendment. Yet, we are married in God's eyes regardless of these supposed "man made" laws. As you can see, the government didn't stop US from getting married, and they certainly won't be able to stop homosexuals from coming together either.

By voting for the marriage amendment, no matter how badly we want to "defeat" the opposition, I believe that with this vote, we would only be sending a message that we DO want the government involved in this institution. From most Christians' standpoints, not supporting this amendment will not be a popular choice. I have no doubt that by opposing this amendment, we may be labelled similarly to those who support homosexuality. But that's okay. I believe that when the government comes up with some "law" that seems beneficial to your own viewpoint, it takes far more guts to recognize the government shouldn't get involved in it at all than to vote out of benefit for your own cause.

The Free Family

It seems things in our country continue to crumble. The economy continues on it's downward trend -- though the mainstream misleadia would have us to believe otherwise. Unemployment is at an all time high and moral standards are, well... what moral standards? The government continues to get more and more power hungry with laws like the NDAA (H.R. 1540), which allows for the removal of due process rights and contains a very generalized provision for indefinite detention. And there's the National Defense Resources Preparedness Executive Order, supposedly giving Obama and his specifically designated Secretaries the authority to commandeer all domestic resources, including food and water, both in times of national emergency AND in peacetime.

Yes, things are scary. BUT, I am encouraged by some of the things I see happening around me. I can see a few of the tables starting to turn on a local, most fundamental level. In their home life, several friends of ours have recently started to grow their own food. They have a desire to become self-sufficient. Many have also been involved for some time now in the home birth movement. Yep, contrary to popular belief, you DON'T have to have your baby in a hospital. Several of them are also foregoing the public indoctrination system and are instead educating their kids at home.

I must commend these parents because by taking the stance which they have taken, they have put themselves right in the middle of the fight for liberty that is going on in this country. In a country claiming to be free, you would think that the aforementioned tasks wouldn't be that big of a deal. Unfortunately, that just isn't the case. There are laws being introduced, like Senate Bill 510, which attempt to shut down our independence in the food arena. And you may think that home birth is a personal choice, but did you know that Certified Professional Midwives have been arrested in North Carolina for assisting with home births? And let's not even mention the tragic event which occurred on the 27th of this month in Pennsylvania where a newborn was seized by police when the mother delayed in signing for a Hepatitis B shot. There are also restrictions placed upon us for homeschooling, one of the very reasons there are organizations like HSLDA.

Now, this leads me to another fight. There are parents we know of who have decided NOT to get Social Security numbers for their children. I'm sure you're wondering just how that's going to work. Quite frankly, we are anxious to see the outcome as well, as we live in a society today which no longer looks at your name, but at your number. Ever try getting a job without one? How about a bank account? A cell phone? How about a simple birth certificate for your "un-numbered" baby. It's a tangled web out there, and to fight this one requires the ultimate intestinal fortitude.

So this got me thinking. Here we are, 30 years old, and we actually know parents now who are doing these things. It makes me wonder what things will look like in 20 years. Will more parents get on this "freedom bandwagon?" Will children be successfully raised without links to this system? Without Social Security Numbers? Will there be at least one generation of "free families?" Will they have to go into hiding, or will they need to be off the grid to avoid some type of felony charge or be accused of being terrorists? Or will this new generation usher in new laws -- a new status quo?

What will be the future of the free family? Perhaps we the people should make that determination.

Resources:

NC Friends of Midwives:

http://www.ncfom.org/

Home School Legal Defense Association

http://www.hslda.org

New Life on a Homestead

http://newlifeonahomestead.com/

North-Carolina American Republic

http://www.ncrepublic.org

America's Remedy

http://www.americasremedy.com

A Word On Resistance

I stumbled upon a blog post recently entitled "The Resistance Needs You." I was thankful to the author to see so many of my thoughts echoed. Over the past few years, I've been a huge advocate of what I like to call "legal resistance" -- in other words, not just resisting for resisting's sake, but resisting unlawful government based upon your knowledge of the law, jurisprudence, and the application of the Constitution and your God-given, inherent rights.

After reading this blog, I decided to compose a comment to further elaborate on the topic of resistance. As it sometimes happens, this comment got longer and longer, and I decided to just turn it into a separate blog post. And so, here is my response:

Excellent information. I believe that another way we can put up a resistance is to each participate in lawful government. People may not understand what this means. But essentially this is simply knowing WHAT your rights are as protected by the Constitution, and then asserting those rights (rather than begging for them) regardless of what "laws" are in force which attempt to circumvent these inherent, God-given rights. The supreme court has stated that an unconstitutional law is really not a law at all, but a complete nullity (see Norton v. Shelby County, 6 S.Ct. 1121). There are many rights which are protected by the Constitution that many people don't even know about, or have been long forgotten.

The Right to Travel

The right to travel is one that is most obvious. Today we have contracted away this right and turned it into a privilege with something called a driver's license. The simple act of traveling from point A to point B in America is now ILLEGAL, unless permission is granted by the government. A servant can now pull you over at any point in time and request, "papers, please." This is not what the founders intended for a truly free country.

The Right to Keep What You Earn

Another is the right to keep the fruits of your labor. There are so many things wrong with the income tax in this country, I don't even know where to start. If you were to do a study on this topic, you will find that the 16th Amendment (which supposedly grants authority for such a tax) was never properly ratified. You will also find many strange anomalies even within the IRS's own documentation concerning requirements to pay the income tax. One such anomaly is that this tax is actually "voluntary." Another such anomaly is in the very definition of "income." You will find that this term is more associated with corporate gain than with personal accumulation of wealth. Was it ever intended by the founders that our population be punished for their success? And if not, why do we continue to obey this rogue organization?

The Right To Be Married

The right to be married is another right I won't get into too much right now, but is most definitely and obviously a right -- one that I personally have asserted. God put the institution of marriage in place, and it is no right of the government to be involved in that institution.

The Right of Lawful State Citizenship

The right to be a state citizen is also something which has been long forgotten. And if you study deeply on this right in particular, you will find that this is the root cause of MANY, if not ALL of the federal government's encroachments into our everyday lives. Reconstruction came two years after the Civil War, and was not one of its intended outcomes. These Acts completely reversed the relationship of our states to the federal government, and in turn, the relationship between the federal government and the citizenry of this country. In fact, prior to this time, the federal government had VERY little influence over our personal lives. But now, our citizenship is nationalized. We are now citizens of a nation, rather than citizens of our demi-sovereign states which had ultimate authority OVER the federal government. The founders never intended the federal government to control the states. They intended it to be the complete and total opposite. THIS is an issue that has been long forgotten, but is something that we MUST assert if we want our rights back.

The Supreme court has ruled that: "The only absolute and unqualified right of a United States citizen is to residence within the territorial boundaries of the United States," US vs. Valentine 288 F. Supp. 957. So, we see that from a legal perspective, even if you know what your rights are, you need to have proper standing in order to assert them. A US citizen has one right -- the right to live here. A US citizen is also not party to the Bill of Rights, contrary to what you may have been taught. The only way we can have these rights returned to us is by asserting our right to state citizenship. And we can't do this if we are consistently making declarations to the contrary.

Consenting to Encroachment.

Our Signatures Give Them Permission.

Through our participation in Social Security, the tax system, banking, driver licensing, mortgages, even the voting system, we are declaring (often under penalty of perjury) that:

1) We are US citizens (citizens of a nation), and we desire to be such.

2) We no longer have the rights of a state citizen.

3) We are citizens of Washington and the federal government is our master.

4) We honor the overthrow of lawful government, and believe that those who overthrew it have rightful dominion over us.

We've been had. Through a complicated web of legalese run-around and by the use of our own ignorance, the federal government has the control. And they have for a VERY long time. They've got our signatures to prove it. By our very participation in the same system of government that we so often rail against, we contribute to our own demise and our continual loss of liberty. The only way we can break free is to do just that. But we have to have the knowledge it takes to know their tricks (and believe me they have a lot of them).

How We Participate

We are participants (citizens) of lawful government through the re-established body politic of our state, the North-Carolina American Republic. This vehicle gives us the education, the standing, and the know-how to assert our rights and to beat them at their own game of legal jujitsu.

We can beg this government all we want, but until we assert our rights on the most fundamental levels, they will continue to be our master.

Resources:

Right to Travel and other great resources for study:

http://www.carolinaliberty.com

http://carolinaliberty.com/about_study.php

Re-establishment of Lawful State Gov't for NC:

http://www.ncrepublic.org

http://www.americasremedy.com

http://www.youtube.com/ncrepublic

Object/History of the War vs. Reconstruction:

http://ncrepublic.org/lib_objectofwar.php

http://vimeo.com/29993113

http://vimeo.com/29933007

Info on the Income Tax Scam:

http://www.republicmagazine.com/magazines/Republic-Magazine5.pdf

I originally stumbled upon Daisy's blog post "The Resistance Needs You" through a comment which was posted on the following article:

http://www.shtfplan.com/headline-news/for-millions-of-americans-the-collapse-is-now-video-documentary_02172012

Blind Patriotism

I recently saw a picture of a woman lying on an air mattress in front of a casket covered with an American flag. Perhaps you've seen it. The man in the casket is her husband, 2nd Lt. James Cathey of the United States Marine Corps, killed in Iraq. As I read through the 7,000+ comments underneath the photo, I noticed a common theme. Weeping, crying, sadness, respect, amazing, bless the wife, God bless our troops...these are some of the phrases they used to express their feelings. People were of course reaching out to the woman and her family and were sad for her loss. Some were thanking the soldier for serving our country, referring to him as patriotic and other heroic terms. Some people even said things like, "this is awesome!"

Among these comments I also spotted a single person who, though saddened by this photo, also passionately expressed his hatred for the war which would cause such a death. He seemed to believe that such a death was unnecessary, and could have been prevented.

As I continued reading, I saw this latter commenter labeled by others as disrespectful, jerk, douche bag, an embarrassment, sad, miserable, a 'bored' human being, and a sadist.

American families today have invested much in our efforts to "spread democracy". They believe implicitly that what we are doing in these other countries is done for our own protection. Their dedication and faith in such a belief is obvious. Would they risk the lives of their husbands, their brothers, sisters, and sons in a war for which they had any doubts as to its reasoning? Would men dedicate their lives to something they didn't believe was a just cause? Would they?

How embarrassing, how awful, and how hurtful would it be for Americans and American families today to acknowledge that we have gone too far? How difficult would it be for us to say that our loved ones had died in a unjustifiable war? It is no wonder that this controversial commenter was so pummeled with criticism and name-calling. If your husband died for a cause which someone criticized, would you not be angry too? Of course you would.

But, what if you found out later that this person was right? Would you not be angry for a different reason? Would you not begin to question those who gave him his orders, or even those who continue to follow such orders? You may actually come to appreciate this person's information. True, it would take some time, and a tremendous amount of pain. But would you not want to know the truth?

Now, obviously there is a time and place for everything. But after our mourning, have we not as a society tried to prevent deaths when possible? If someone dies in a car accident, don't we want to do what we can to prevent such accidents in the future? If someone has information about a war being unjust, are we too good, too prideful to listen without criticizing them? Will the death of our loved ones be honored any more by accepting a lie? How many more should die just because we are so blindly invested? Is this REALLY patriotism??

People seem to see a sort of "beauty" in this photo. They see a hero, while I see a terrible tragedy. This man had so much faith in the lies, the propaganda, the military commercials, that he truly believed that risking his life for this cause would in fact bring safety to his family, while defending our freedom. His wife is now alone, and his kids (if he had any), will be forced to live without a father. Of course it's sad. It's terrible!

America is in the business of nation building. We now have so many bases in so many countries, that the actual numbers are difficult to keep track of. Some say that the US has more than 1,000 military bases dotting the globe. Some say the numbers are much higher. How would we feel if other countries had bases in OUR country? We're trying to "spread our democracy?" What if other countries came over here to "spread their communism?" Would we welcome them with open arms? Do their military bases have any business over here?

America is now over $14 TRILLION in debt. More than $700 billion of this is for the military and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Over 14 million are unemployed. The economy and, not to mention, the morality of our country is in shambles. Isn't it about time we get our own house in order?

On January 17th, 1961, Dwight Eisenhower, in his farewell address, warned about the dangers of standing armies and the military industrial complex:

In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.

We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together....

I believe these lives are sacred. Sometimes, I believe death can be justified. However, if there is any doubt that what we are fighting for justifies these deaths, we MUST swallow our pride and carefully examine the possibility that our faith could be misplaced. We say, "God bless our troops." I say let us pray that more of these troops will begin to study and perhaps question just WHAT they are doing -- and WHO they are serving. Let's start supporting those troops who are scared to death that they will be criticized if they start to examine their own actions and go against the status quo. Let us begin to challenge our own beliefs about what truly is patriotic, no matter how much it hurts our pride.

If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. - 2 Chronicles 7:14

How Do I Get Married Without A License?

On August 16, 2009, Sara and I were married.We had a covenant wedding and did not get a state-issued marriage license. God instituted the plan of marriage, so through study and prayer, we made the determination long before we were married that we did not need the government's permission to be married.

Since this time, the questions have poured in... How did you do it? How did you change your names? How do you file taxes? How does it work? I received another question just today. So in an effort to address these questions and others like them, I am creating this blog post. I'll also post several resources at the bottom so that you can do your own research. I'm going to try and cover a lot here, but I'm sure I will miss some things! So please, if you have additional questions, post them in the comments and I'll do my best to answer.

Now, if you're just stumbling upon this information for the first time, and are thinking, "why would you want to get married without a license?", I would highly recommend first reading our Wedding Ceremony Booklet so that you understand exactly WHY we did this.

That being said, let's see what this whole no-license-marriage is all about, and how it works!

It Won't Be Easy.

First off, let me just say that even though what we're doing is rooted in very old concepts, in today's environment, we are breaking new ground here. The system currently in place is not made, nor does it appreciate people bucking it in the least. And so, this is most definitely a fight. One that may involve a bit of self sacrifice in order to gain ground. I think it is important to recognize what you are getting into beforehand. I challenge everyone not to take my word for it, but to study this for themselves.

That being said, I obviously believe that this is a fight worth pursuing. I also believe that among the many fights that you can take on, the marriage license issue is one of the easiest! We know other people who have fought driver's licenses, taxes, permits, and many other issues; but the marriage license issue requires very little in comparison. At least that has proven true for us. Some of these other issues require many hours spent in court, writing correspondence to government offices and/or court officers, and of course lots of money. However, not obtaining a marriage license essentially just requires your non-participation in various aspects of the current system.

Be On the Same Page.

I have heard of couples divorcing over disagreements concerning the fight for freedom and liberty. Nine times out of ten, the husband is wanting to be a patriot and his wife thinks he is crazy for trying. Before Sara and I were even married, we were involved in study groups where we both became dedicated to the defense of liberty and the Constitution. We talked with each other, at length, concerning what was important and what our Christian responsibilities were going to be as a couple. We knew going into this that there would be a lot of self sacrifice involved in some of these decisions we were making. In our case, our agreement on this subject proved to strengthen our relationship even more. And so, I cannot stress enough the importance of being on the same page. Maintaining a marriage is often challenging enough without disagreeing on such a fundamental principle as liberty. Standing up for your rights can affect so many aspects of your lives as a couple. You MUST be in agreement on this.

Discuss the Future Impact.

This is where the "fight" comes in. As I write this, the de facto government (the widely recognized government of North Carolina, and the U.S. federal government) still recognizes my wife by her maiden name, and not her married name, Sara Muncy. As far as we are concerned, to us, our friends, our family, everyone that is important to us, and in natural law -- Sara's name is now Sara Muncy. But because the marriage license helps to initiate the name change, the de facto government does not recognize the change. Now, if it is important to you to be recognized by this government, there are other ways to change your name. For us, this was not important. But this decision is up to you, depending on how far you want to take your battle. To change your name without a marriage license, simply go to the courthouse after you are married, and petition the court to change your name. The courthouse will post notice of the petition, and if nobody objects within a given time, the change will become "official" (at least in that government body).

There are many things which are affected by your decision (or not) to obtain a wedding license. Among these are...

1. Driver's License
2. Social Security Number (we refer to this as the 'slave number')
3. Bank Accounts
4. Paychecks
5. IRS Forms (W2, W9, 1099, etc.)
6. Filing Status
7. Bills / Mail
8. Employer / Associates
9. Children

Every couple's decisions about the above items are going to be different. Are you self-employed, or working for a corporation? Is your employer willing to change your name on your cubicle without something "official?" (That's a fun one. When Sara was still "working for the man" her employer changed the nameplate on her cubicle with no questions asked!) Are your feelings going to be hurt that the IRS doesn't give you that deduction for filing jointly? (remember that whole self sacrifice thing?) Will you even be filing taxes? Does it matter to you what name your bill collector puts on the envelope? Will your bank require you to have the same last name to open a joint checking account? Does that matter to you? Will you have children? Will THEY have slave numbers? These are all important questions to ask yourselves.

When the government doesn't recognize you as being married, and doesn't even recognize that your name has changed, this affects a lot of things. We've discovered that for most of these things, there is a workaround. For example, we don't have a joint bank account. So we operate largely in cash, and we just share the bank accounts we had before we were married. We both have access to the same information and we manage it just the same. Each of these issues has a different approach which we have had to discover for ourselves along the way.

When we were first married, admittedly we were a little scared about how all of this would go. Okay, we were VERY scared about how it was going to go. But we prayed about it, talked about it, and had a lot of encouragement from our friends. And most importantly, we took it ONE STEP AT A TIME. Today, we are a living example that you DO NOT have to have a marriage license to be married. Rather than begging for our rights, we have chosen to ASSERT them.

Finding a Pastor

Once you've done your research and you and your future spouse have BOTH decided that this is the right step, you need to find a pastor who understands what a covenant marriage is all about. Again, the system doesn't like this. North Carolina (de facto) state law requires that a marriage license be completed and returned to the register of deeds who issued it. Unless they understand and are willing to join the fight, most ministers or pastors will adhere to this law. However, there are a few good patriot pastors out there who will perform a marriage without a license. You just have to look in the right places. Chuck Baldwin's Black Regiment listing is a great place to start. If you need help finding a pastor, let me know* and I'll be glad to help you with your search.

*Update: Email link removed. I am no longer able to respond to inquiries concerning pastor / officiant searches. Please see 11/20 update at the end of this blog post.

Prepare the Covenant.

A covenant is between you, your spouse and God. Sara and I had a lot of help from friends and some pastor friends of ours to develop and customize our own covenant. Because we are in graphic design and both appreciate the Constitution, we not only tailored the wording of our covenant, but its appearance as well, to make it look like the U.S. Constitution. We had a lot of fun with it. But the wording and appearance of your covenant is up to you and your spouse. Feel free to use ours as a guide if you like, and customize it to your liking. You both must read your covenant thoroughly, and agree on every point. You will be living under this covenant for the rest of your lives!

In addition to our covenant, we also created these Marriage Ceremony Booklets. Sara and I had a very small wedding. In fact, we only invited our immediate families and our grandparents. We did this because we wanted to focus on the covenant that we were making, rather than focusing on all the "fluff and pizazz" that normally goes along with weddings. Because our wedding was small, we were able to very inexpensively have these booklets printed and ready to hand out to our guests so that they would better understand why were getting married in this fashion. It really made an impact, and as usual, we got lots of questions. There was even a lady at the local Kinko's asking us questions when we picked up the booklets!

Continue Talking About It.

Things don't suddenly become easier after you are married. Should I even have to say this? But things are especially harder if you have made the decision to buck the system such as we did. Keep talking about it after you're married! Get together with your spouse and discuss your plan of action as it unfolds. Talk about it every day if you have to. Seek comfort in one another when you're worried about how hard things are going to be. Pray about it together. As a result, your marriage will grow stronger, and your relationship will grow deeper. Discuss what you've done with other couples! Sara and I have had great fun telling people about what we did -- encouraging others to break free from the molds that society, and the government, places upon us.

"Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." -Matthew 19:6

Resources

Cliff & Sara's Covenant Wedding Marriage Ceremony Booklet - Print Ready

Cliff & Sara's Constitutional Covenant

Cliff & Sara's Wedding Video - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

5 Reasons Why Christians Should Not Obtain a State Marriage License - Pastor Matt Trewhella

Sovereign Christian Marriage

Ron Paul on Marriage (short video)

Chuck Baldwin Black Regiment - A state-by-state listing of black regiment preachers.

CarolinaLiberty.com - The study group we attended before we got married.

AmericasRemedy.com - Educational presentations about state citizenship and the unconstitutionality of Reconstruction

NCRepublic.org - the de jure (lawful) state of North Carolina.

About Cliff and Sara Muncy

We are Believers. We are strong advocates and defenders of the Constitution and of lawful government. As opposed to U.S. citizenship, we believe in state sovereignty and state citizenship as put into place by the founders. As such, we support the de jure (lawful) state of North Carolina (the North-Carolina American Republic) and the fight against the nationalization of citizenship and the unconstitutionality of Reconstruction. Our rights are inherent, God given, and cannot be legislated away. We understand and accept the responsibility that we must assert these rights in order to restore this country and to ensure life and liberty for us and future generations.

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Update 11/20/13: First off, Sara and I are still happily married and remain active and dedicated to the liberty movement. Since the time this article was published in 2011, the response has been phenomenal. We have received many emails from across the country. We have found that the biggest roadblock for most couples is in finding a pastor who is willing to perform a marriage ceremony without a license. This has been both disheartening and eye-opening.

We must apologize to many of you, as due to time limitations, we have been unable to respond to each inquiry. Sara and I have future plans to write a detailed addendum or update to our article concerning the covenant wedding. We also have plans to develop a small book and get even further involved to help others learn about the covenant marriage; and to begin talking with pastors across the country. However, for now, our time is currently occupied with other pursuits. So these endeavors must be put on hold.

On the topic of searching for pastors, we only have a small network of pastors here in North Carolina who are willing to perform ceremonies for couples who made the choice to forgo the license, but we are not currently set up with the proper infrastructure to network with pastors across the country. Even so, we would like to express another thought on the topic.

Many of the emails we've received from readers seem to indicate that our usage of the word "pastor" has been taken quite literally. When Sara and I were married, we were fortunate to find an actual pastor of a church who would marry without license. However, as we've discovered from the myriad of correspondence, locating a pastor who is supportive of a purely covenant wedding is not that easy. In most de facto states, it is illegal for an actual pastor or ordained minister to officiate over a marriage ceremony without a license. That being said, we would like to encourage readers to think outside the box here. We truly believe that it is not specifically required that the officiant of your wedding be ordained or be a pastor. It is important to understand that being married through the vehicle of a covenant does not indicate some recognition or need for approval by a state or government body. Therefore, by performing a covenant wedding ceremony, we are reverting solely back to God's requirements. The state's "appropriate methodologies", "requirements" or "recognitions" are irrelevant. As stated in the post, you simply have to decide which "benefits" you are willing to forgo.

Ultimately, this decision is up to you, your comfort level, and resources. If you can find a willing pastor, great. However, we believe that it would be much more important to find someone who has similar beliefs and would be willing to perform a ceremony the proper way, rather than to require that person be a pastor, and/or to be ordained at the risk of having to ask the state for permission. In today's modern society, where licenses are accepted as the norm, there's honestly not much information out there on the topic. At least that's what we've found. But if we look at it simply -- which I believe God does as well -- we see that the marriage covenant is a simple 3-part relationship: you, your spouse, and God. These are the three most important parts. Outside of this, adding the accountability of several witnesses, and someone to officiate the wedding if you like -- this is all you really need. Remember that in a covenant, you are looking for God's approval, and His alone. I would encourage you to research for yourself HIS requirements.

Sara and I are hopeful to continue our writing in the future on this topic, as we realize there is a lack of information available. And again, we would also encourage you to do your own research and to become a help to those around you along the way. Talk to your neighbor, your pastor, your families. Feel free to print out this blog and the resources linked here and share them with others. Together, we can spread truth and knowledge.

I Used to Hate History

I hated history in school. It was boring and incredibly dull. However, in recent years, I've made an effort to try and educate myself about the things going on around me, and things that I may not know or understand about the history of this country. There are lots of things about the Civil War time frame which have affected the way our country is operating today. Yeah, it was a long time ago. But prior to this time our country was not trillions of dollars in debt. Nor did we have military bases in such a large part of the world. Our federal government was also much smaller, and it didn't affect citizens directly, but mostly just commerce between the states. And the states were sovereign. They actually CONTROLLED the federal government. Imagine that. They didn't have U.S. citizens back then either, people were citizens of their states -- and get this, people referred to their states as 'their country,' because in fact their state was indeed a country. Taxes were less, and we had more freedom and liberty than we could imagine.

Today it's the polar opposite. The federal government rules over the states; power coming from a small group of people in Washington, and of course the elite. It's slavery all over again. God is no longer the foundation of all law, but laws are created with little or no moral foundation at all -- simply out of man's opinion, doing whatever he chooses to do. This is not the way the founders intended it.

As masters of our government, in a Constitutional Republic, actions by the government reflect on we the people. In this country, WE are the ones who institute the government. Consider for a moment that something very wrong happened during this time period of the Civil War and Reconstruction that you were not taught in school. If these things were kept taboo, or secret, could this secrecy have a major impact on how this country is run today? Don't you want to be a seeker of truth? Do you want your children to grow up as slaves to an immoral government, when in fact THEY should be the ones responsible for their own governing? Do you truly want to honor those who have given their lives so that you can live in a free country?

Several people have had a tremendous impact on my recent historical education and on the actions I've begun to take to give allegiance ONLY to lawful, provable, Constitutional government in my own personal life, and to begin a resistance toward the contrary. Firstly, I have to give credit to my wife, Sara. I cannot tell you how much of a blessing it is to have a partner with such faith. It is so important. She is my best friend and offers support on such a deep level. Sara attends nearly every meeting, seminar, court case, and booth event that I go to. We pray together about the future of this country and we pray A LOT about the people who inhabit it. The way our laws were set up in the beginning, and the amount of freedom that was there, required a moral people -- people able to govern themselves. It is sad to say that most people in America today DESERVE the government that they have, as they are unable to govern themselves or behave in a moral fashion. Most have grown dependent, and many just don't care, including the Christians. We pray that this can change. God moves mountains, and so we believe that it can.

Bill Randell has been another major influence in my life. It's a funny story. I didn't like Bill very much when I first met him. Well, actually, let me back up. When I first 'heard' about Bill, he intrigued me. See Bill doesn't carry a driver's license. Quite frankly I thought that was pretty weird. There are a lot of other "liberties" that Bill takes as well, and when I heard about these things, through my brother Chad, I thought I should at least meet this man. My first few encounters with Bill were good, however, there was one instance when he began to teach me a few things I wasn't aware of, like what's at the basis of that whole "driving without a license" thing. Bill began to challenge some of my most deep rooted beliefs. Even challenging those beliefs about what my responsibilities are as a Christian. To make a long story short, Bill ruffled my feathers and I didn't much like it. I refused to talk to Bill for about a year. However, on my own, I started to look up and study some of the things that Bill had said. I began discovering that it was all true. After a while, I let go of my pride, and started talking to Bill again. That was hard. I believe around 2007, myself and two other friends of mine began meeting at Bill's house regularly to study. Bill has been studying since the early 80's (around the time I was born), so we had a lot to learn. We started by studying the founding documents, like the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. We went in depth, to discover just how educated people were at that time. The writings by the founders, and they way they thought, was incredible! People today speak in short bursts, and most people's language, vocabulary, and working intellect has been degraded over generations. However, the founders of this country were incredibly intelligent, and God-inspired. People back then took the time to write. Their sentences were detailed and well thought out. How far have we come!

Our little study group there in Walnut Cove grew until eventually there were so many people we could no longer pile into Bill's living room. So we started meeting in a building behind Bill's church. At some point, we started calling ourselves "Carolina Liberty." We even had a website!

In our group, we would occasionally have special speakers. Mr. John Ainsworth was such a speaker. I was told that this was an old friend of Bill's. I'll never forget the huge bin full of books and materials John brought with him that evening. You could tell that this man had truly 'done his homework'. John spoke about Reconstruction. I remember learning an interesting word at that time. That word was "annulled." John had made the statement during his presentation that congress had "annulled" the state of North Carolina. If you look this word up in a dictionary, it says, "to declare invalid, declare to have had no legal existence." I was intrigued to say the least, and so was everyone in the room. "Can they do that?!"

Besides Bill and John, there have been many other friends I have met during the past four years who have made the conscious decision, in their own personal lives, to honor only Constitutional laws and provable government. Rather than blaming the politicians, they have looked in the mirror. They have realized that a country claiming such freedoms must have a people willing to govern themselves. I have met such strong Christians in these circles. I know of few other 'Christians' who would be so supportive of a person going to jail for standing up against an unconstitutional law. I am happy to say that these people have become my church. In this community of what I call PATRIOTS, we pray together and support each other in what we believe God has called us to do -- to be responsible in the actions of participating in a government body that will be honoring to Him.

So I used to hate history. But now I think it's fascinating. People back then may have not had fancy houses, cars, or modern conveniences, but they had honor, and courage to take a stand for what is right, no matter how unpopular. I long to share what I have learned with others, and I want, in my lifetime, to see this country restored to her former glory. Won't you join us?

Join us...

Education is such an important part of understanding any movement, and you should do your homework before getting involved in anything. I HIGHLY recommend checking out the following video (in 9 parts on YouTube) from John Ainsworth. Watch all nine parts. I promise, you'll learn a lot just in this short 1 hr, 17 minute primer. Once you've done that, visit the following list of websites. Take a moment to read through the pages of these sites. Click on a few links, a few articles and just explore and see what you find. Once you've done this, you will probably have questions. I make myself available on Facebook, through email, or by phone (336-924-0402). Maybe you would be interested in having someone speak in your area about these things, or in starting up your own study group?

Resources:

CarolinaLiberty.com

AmericasRemedy.com

NCRepublic.org

RestoreOurRepublics.blogspot.com

NCRenegade.com

Randy's Right

No matter what you do, please get involved somehow. The future of this country depends on it.

"The two enemies of the people are criminals and government, so let us tie the second down with the chains of the Constitution, so the second will not become the legalized version of the first." -Thomas Jefferson

"Nations are not served by citizens who refuse to face the truth. Blind optimism, shrouded typically in patriotism, abounds and is going to lead us to disaster." -Peter Schiff

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15

If Voting Isn't the Answer, What Is?

Last Saturday, while tending a booth at the Sensible Mountain Preparedness Seminar, I wore my America's Remedy "Voting IS NOT the answer" t-shirt. As is usually the case with this t-shirt, I was asked the following question on more than one occasion: "If voting isn't the answer, what is?"

It isn't too surprising to get such a question. After all, most people today believe that the only way to fight for anything in this country is to get someone elected to office. And in a time of such economic and moral chaos, now is the time to vote, vote, vote....right?

So how do I respond to this question. Well, I'll tell you what I told every person who asked me. The answer is... rather than "requesting rights" from a man or woman whom we elect to office, we should realize that our rights are God given and inherent, and assert them! We don't need to "change" the laws, but should begin determining the constitutionality of those laws which are so enforced. We owe no allegiance or obedience to laws which defy the Constitution. In fact, it is actually our duty to disobey laws which violate it.

To me, it now seems incredibly simple and obvious. This is the way the system was designed! Electing an individual isn't going to "change" anything except perhaps the point at which we reach total annihilation. Who has more power to change things -- one guy in office trying to represent everyone's point of view, or 300,000 bold state citizens who are asserting their right to lawful, constitutional government?

If people want to turn this country around, we're going to have to take responsibility for this rapid decline and actually DO what is right, rather than first asking legislators for permission. The mainstream misleadia uses the term "lawmakers" to describe politicians. WE THE PEOPLE are the lawmakers! We have to realize this. Fear, complacency, apathy, these all stand in our way. If we know what type of government that we want, then why do we continue participating in one which has overthrown the government which was put in place by our founders? It's easy. It's convenient. But is it RIGHT? Did our founders sound like folks who would have just "settled" for voting? Was our independence won in a voting booth? No. Voting is not the answer. Never has been and never will be. We must do as the founders did and assert our right to lawful, constitutional, provable government.

If you agree with this concept and want to spread the word, boy do I have great news for you! You can buy your own "Voting IS NOT the answer" t-shirt right here! Better yet, if you not only agree but would like to better educate yourself and others about rights, the Constitution, citizenship, and states' rights, contact myself or John Ainsworth to schedule a short 2-hour presentation in YOUR area. Get a group of friends together and make a day of it! I PROMISE that you'll learn something you didn't know before.

Voter's Registration Cancelled

Back in June of 2010, I became a state citizen. A while back I learned of some shocking historical facts about our country. These facts tell me the following:

1. This country is not broken. It has been overthrown.

2. A U.S. citizen has but one right: the right to reside. A U.S. citizen is NOT a party to the Bill of Rights (whether you think you are or not).

3. Because of Constitutional violations dating back to the time of the Civil War, a person who participates, votes, or otherwise supports the current de facto government in any way is actively supporting the overthrow of lawful state governments.

A person who votes or participates in more than one body politic is fraudulent and dishonest. So after much delay, today I am sending in an official cancellation letter, requesting that my voter's registration through the North Carolina State Board of Elections be cancelled, and receipt of this cancellation be mailed to me in return. Even though I have not voted in that government in quite a while, and my loyalty to our Republic has for a long time been steadfast, this long overdue letter will be yet another firm legal indicator of my oath of citizenship. Here is the text of the letter.

June 7, 2011

North Carolina State Board of Elections
PO Box 27255
Raleigh, NC 27611-7255

RE: Voter’s Registration Cancellation -- Receipt Requested

To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing in regards to the voter registration currently listed in your system as account number xxxxxxxxxxx and listed under the name xxxxx xxxxx.

Based upon my recently acquired knowledge as detailed below, I would like to formally request that this voter registration account be cancelled and removed from your system, along with my name and any associated personal information. I would also like to request receipt and/or proof of cancellation and removal, in writing, to be mailed to xxxx xxxxxxx Rd., xxxxxxx, xx xxxxx.

Through a study of history, I recently discovered that there are two separate body politics currently operating within the territorial boundaries of the state of North Carolina. The first state called North Carolina entered the American Union as the 12th state on November 21, 1789. The second state called North Carolina purportedly entered as the 39th state on June 25, 1868. This second state (the seal of which is being used by your organization) entered the Union by military order (see attached “Military Order No. 120”). This was after Reconstruction. During this time, actions by the 39th Congress overthrew and in fact annulled that first state two years after the Civil War was over, and a full year after peace had already been declared. Contrary to what I was originally taught, I have learned the little known history that the object of the Civil War at the time, and according to the 37th Congress, was about defending and maintaining the “dignity, equality and rights of the several states unimpaired” (see attached “Congressional Globe: Object of the War”). However, it has become obvious to me that the original object of the war is at total opposition with its actual outcome! A brief overview of this sequence of events is as follows:

• 1865 - Confederate Army surrenders to overwhelming opposition.
• 1865 & 1866 - North Carolina is considered back in the Union to the degree that they participate in the amending of the National Constitution abolishing slavery.
• 1866 - Peace is declared
• March 2, 1867 - With the Reconstruction Acts, Congress changes the object of the war two years after the war is over and one year after peace is declared.

Reconstruction also resulted in the 14th Amendment. I’ve discovered that this is the only congressionally coerced Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in our entire American history. Section five of the Reconstruction Acts stated that states would not be entitled to representation in Congress unless they first adopted the 14th Amendment AND only if the 14th Amendment became part of the Constitution of the United States. This nationalized citizenship, making all Americans subject to Washington, rather than to local self-government. With these facts and many others which I have learned, I must, from this point forward, truly consider the unconstitutionality of the Reconstruction Acts of 1867 and 1868, which purportedly put this new body politic into place which calls itself North Carolina. These blatant violations are numerous, and cannot be ignored:

Constitutional Violations of Reconstruction

Article 3, Section 3 of the Constitution states that “Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort...” The 39th Congress’ defiance of the original object of the War was in fact a new war upon the States, our founding principles and the Constitution. Reconstruction and its maintenance, therefore is nothing less than statutized treason.

Article 4, Section 3, Clause 1 states that “...no new states shall be formed or erected within the jurisdiction of any other state...” As has been explained above, a new state called North Carolina was erected within the same jurisdiction as the old state, while the original body politic was still lawfully operating.

Article 1, Section 9 of the Constitution states that, “No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed". The constitution of every State also expressly forbids bills of attainder. A bill of attainder is an act of a legislature declaring a person or group of persons guilty of some crime and punishing them without benefit of a judicial trial. In total violation of this concept, section 5 of the first Reconstruction Act stated that all who participated in the rebellion were to be disfranchised.

Article 4 states, “The United States shall guarantee to every state in this union a republican form of government, and shall protect each of them against invasion;...” When Congress changed the body politic, putting the new state in place, this was NOT guaranteeing a republican form of government to the community of free citizens of the original state.

Article 5 of the Constitution states, “The Congress,...shall propose amendments to this Constitution,...provided that ...no state, without its consent, shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the Senate.” In contradiction to Article 5, the original state called North-Carolina was not allowed to vote in the U.S. Senate during the proposal of the 14th Amendment. The first Reconstruction Act, Section 5 says that a state would not be entitled to representation in Congress (which is what makes it a state), unless that state first adopted the 14th Amendment. This begs the question, if this original North-Carolina was not a state, then how could it pass an amendment?

The 5th Amendment makes these statements, “No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime....nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law...” The Reconstruction Acts declared an entire body of people to be guilty; not allowing them to have their own form of government unless they first adopted the 14th Amendment. This is a total violation of the due process law that is represented in this 5th Amendment.

I have attached a copy of my Affidavit of Citizenship and Domicile, signed and sealed June 12th, 2010, which clearly shows my legal and lawful status as a citizen of the State of North-Carolina American Republic, the twelfth of the original thirteen states to enter the American Union, and as re-established on December 1, 1997.

According to your voting requirements as listed at the website located at http://www.sboe.state.nc.us, U.S. citizenship is a requirement that must be met in order for one to register and vote in your state. Due to the facts which I have stated, along with my actions taken to reclaim my original state citizenship status, it would appear that I no longer meet this requirement. Furthermore, due to these Constitutional violations which I have listed, I can find no lawful origin or past pedigree for your state or body politic. Therefore, I kindly request that my voter’s registration be cancelled, my name and any additional information removed from your system, and that receipt and/or proof of this removal be mailed to the address listed above.

Sincerely,

Cliff Muncy

Government Shutdowns? Great!

For good reason, my wife and I don't have cable, dish, or over-the-air television. We don't watch the news and we don't take the newspaper. Usually when something major goes down, we hear about it from friends, or we may see it on the internet or sometimes on Facebook.

Here recently we've been seeing posts about that recent fear of a government shutdown. People are worried about the government delaying various social programs and of course we've seen plenty about military payment delays and pay cuts. Now, don't get me wrong. I feel for those people. A slow decline of government services would be far preferable to an immediate halt. However, the fact that this country's "cancer" has grown so large that we are finally forced to recognize it? That's fantastic!

There are gobs of posts on Facebook with people who are just furious that the military might not get paid to fight all these wars the government has decided to engage in. Again, I feel for the families who have this fear. And I also don't believe you should just cut someone's pay 'cold turkey' without some sort of extended notice. But has anyone actually stopped to consider what we're doing in these other countries anyway??

We have now been in a permanent state of national emergency for over 140 years. Today we have standing armies. Rather than protecting our borders, the de facto government has decided to use military power to police the world. Eisenhower warned about the Military Industrial Complex back in the 60's. Our motto today is "to spread Democracy", even though we were originally founded as a Constitutional Republic. Our own country has been overthrown, is totally broke, in debt, and is ruled by tyrants, thieves, and perverts -- and we want to use our "power" to "help" our neighboring countries? Are we even listening to ourselves here?

Yes, I DO feel for these military families. I feel for them because they have all been duped. They've been duped into believing that their beloved husbands, brothers, and sisters have been hired by an honest and upright employer who has their best interests in mind. They have been told by propaganda left and right that military jobs are "cool". So many I see signing up with this military machine are young guys, with little drive, who just don't know what else to do with their lives. The government sees these boys as fodder to brainwash with the "coolness factor" and then puts them into a situation that requires self-sacrifice, all for the purpose of building a global empire, ruled by the elite.

This de facto government will eventually shut down for good. It may not be soon. But it will happen. And when it does, we don't want anarchy. We need to already be exercising our rights to lawful, provable state governments. Remember, we as state citizens created the Federal government to be an entity limited and bound by the chains of the Constitution! By its very design, it is to be our servant, not our master.

Shutdown Defined

Just for fun, I looked up "government shutdown" in Wikipedia. It defines it as,

"a government shutdown is when the government stops providing all but 'essential' services."

This begs the question, "what is essential?" Well, based upon what I just stated about the origins of lawful government, the Federal government has certain tasks delegated to it, by the states, through the Constitution. The responsibilities and limitations as defined by the Constitution are indeed the "essentials". And yet, it is the very return to these essentials that we fear??

Government de facto: A government of fact. A government actually exercising power and control, as opposed to the true and lawful government; a government not established according to the constitution of the nation, or not lawfully entitled to recognition or supremacy, but which has nevertheless supplanted or displaced the government de jure. A government deemed unlawful, or deemed wrongful or unjust, which, nevertheless, receives presently habitual obedience from the bulk of the community.

--Black's Law Dictionary, Sixth Edition

This government is NOT my lawful government. But many people in this country recognize it as their own. That is the very definition of 'de facto.' For those people feeding at the Federal trough, a shutdown would be quite painful. So what is the solution?

The solution is NOT provided to us by "our representatives" or "our congressmen". The solution can only be provided by the fourth branch of government -- THE PEOPLE! We feed this monster by depending on its services and giving it allegiance. Self-reliance, independence, freedom, liberty, creativity, personal responsibility, morality, honesty, and sacred honor. These words have been so far removed from our American vocabulary. But getting back to these ideals is the fix to our problems. We should all stop suckling at the teat of this overgrown beast, start exercising our right to lawful, provable state governments, and allow the beast to fall away like a rotting organ. If a shutdown involves getting back to the "essentials", then by all means, pull the plug.