The utmost in ridiculousness

[cdsdame.livejournal.com]

I've been a member and mostly a lurker here for a while, but I wanted to share something that's going on with my fiancee and I recently in our struggle to get married in the Catholic Church, and survive in horrible finanicial times.
He has uncontrolled epilepsy, and is on disability, and I am on SSI while I get myself together and look for work.

But our situation is not to be believed, this is what I posted in my journal. Mods, if this is not allowed, please delete.

Mark(my finacee)and I went to Social Security Friday to find out exactly how much my benefits would go down after we were married. We were told (are you ready?) that they would decrease from 761. a month to 168 a month, because of his income, which doesn't change(it's 789 a month) We would have to live on less than 1000 bucks a month, and our combined food stamps, and mine will go down after marriage.
"Of course", an advocate told us, 'if you just live together, or have a commitment ceremony and don't get married, and one of you keeps a separate PO box) IOW, Lie, Anne's benefits won't change'. Of course, that's not an option, because of what we believe, and I can't help but think that this is the sad state our world has come to, where traditional marriage has penalties, and anything else (and I won't go into what, or where or who or why..) is 'ok', and even rewarded.
I want to have a Traditional Marriage where I stand in front of my friends and my God, and commit myself to the man I love.
And if I do that, I have to suffer monetarily.
I just don't get it.

Comments

[i-am-pellucid.livejournal.com]

Is having a religious ceremony and just not getting it state certified an option?

[kizmet-42.livejournal.com]

There's no priest or minister I know of who will perform a marriage ceremony without a valid marriage certificate somewhere (restating of vows means the certificate is already filed.) The risks are very high to the couple if the legal matters aren't properly handled.

[litlover12.livejournal.com]

That's so sad. Way back when I used to work for an organization that was trying to get the marriage penalty eliminated. As you can see, they haven't got very far. :-(

Well, the Lord did say the world would give us grief for doing what's right . . .

[trustme1013.livejournal.com]

Yeah, like that couple in San Diego county that's being fined $10,000 because they have a bible study in their home, or the priest that's being told he'll go to jail for ten days for ringing church bells (within the allowed decibel level, mind) ... This world is going to crap.

[peacenlove2332.livejournal.com]

icon love

Nothing new here

[lucy-chronicles.livejournal.com]

back in the early 90's (this has been this way since 70's w/ Johnson's great society) i was told to get divorced, have a child and go on food stamps OR go to prison to get any more money to help w/ college. heaven forbid we have a matching funds program for those of us working putting ourselves through school.

illinois elminated the prison option. i was flaberghasted by the fin aid counselor and am still ticked to this day.

good luck. keep the state out of it.

[ccr1138.livejournal.com]

If police are allowed to lie to criminals, I think you're allowed to lie to the (criminal) government bureaucracy. This is unconscionable.

[lazypadawan.livejournal.com]

You can thank Lyndon B. Johnson's War On Poverty/Great Society for that one!

Welfare singlehandedly destroyed the black family by these very measures. These policies discourage marriage and push the man out of the family. Reason #2 why I absolutely loathe the welfare state.