http://www.qando.net/ - The Separation of Church Marriage and State Marriage
I’ve made this argument in the past. The religious conception of “marriage” is very different from the legal conception of “marriage”. The distinction should be maintained and promoted by people on both sides of the gay marriage debate.
Yep. You want a religiously-blessed marriage, head for your nearest church. But if you want a relationship that is blessed by the government and offers tax and other benefits, head for the courthouse and a civil union, open to everybody. And, of course, nothing but religious stricture would stop you from having both.
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Not really only religious stricture. There are cultural and social implications as well. I am single (and female); my brother is also single. Can we join a “civil union” for the tax benefits? Can I and my best friend? “Civil union” does not mean a simple tax structure change — it is a marriage, a formal recognition of a sexual, financial, and social contract. Hypothetically, if all of the tax benefits were immediately repealed, and spouses were required to sign a legal document covering inheritance and medical decisions, etc. - would you still be in favor of civil unions? Would homosexual activists? I bet they would, because they’re not trying to reform tax code - they’re trying to change the culture. Denying that fact denies the kind of argument we’re having.
Government can’t govern everything, and big problems happen when it tries. Civil unions do no answer the underlying cultural debate; if the tax problem is the only thing, get rid of the marriage benefit or go to a flat tax or consumption tax. But what part of the argument did that really change?
Amen. GLBT’s have a choice in some of the States. CivillyWedd.com is based on the premise that your marriage is civil. The venue and manner that your ceremony is performed is up to the couple,
Church or Courthouse; we provide the basic plan.