It's Time to Give Marriage Back to the Church.
|
|
| Also listed in: 2008 Presidential Blog | America for Gay Rights | fight to save the working middle class and what we belive in | Kicking Ass |
In this country where there is supposed to be a separation of church and state there are several areas where the laws and customs of the church bleed over into the laws and customs of the land. One of those areas is "marriage."
With the advent of civil unions, it's time to simply make ALL unions civil unions for legal purposes, and send marriage back to the church where the premise of "ordained by God" belongs.
I have heard many conservative folks say that they could endorse civil unions, but have a problem when it comes to the term "marriage". The solution is simple. Separate the two. Give marriage the religious significance and backing of the respective churches, while granting all couples the same legal rights and social position through civil unions.
It would be much the same way that birth certificates are a legal record, while baptismal certificates serve as a church record. Marriage requirements would have to meet the requirements of each individual church, while civil unions would be granted to all adult citizens by the state.
It's already in the constituion, this separation of church and state, now is the time to put it into practice.
With the advent of civil unions, it's time to simply make ALL unions civil unions for legal purposes, and send marriage back to the church where the premise of "ordained by God" belongs.
I have heard many conservative folks say that they could endorse civil unions, but have a problem when it comes to the term "marriage". The solution is simple. Separate the two. Give marriage the religious significance and backing of the respective churches, while granting all couples the same legal rights and social position through civil unions.
It would be much the same way that birth certificates are a legal record, while baptismal certificates serve as a church record. Marriage requirements would have to meet the requirements of each individual church, while civil unions would be granted to all adult citizens by the state.
It's already in the constituion, this separation of church and state, now is the time to put it into practice.
I think that you have hit on a very workable solution and one that is fair to all. A civil union would also work for persons of any faith or no religious affiliation. There are churches where a gay or lesbian couple can marry and these should never be forbidden by the government.
It's the solution I personally would advocate as well.
If we have true separation of Church and State, then it seems inevitable. Marriage is a sacrament of the Church, and as such, it must always be within the control of the Church alone.
Civil Union is a function of the State, and most likely the people against that are the states, the insurance companies, and the Christian Right.
For very different reasons, of course.
The Church sees Sodom and Gomorrah, and don't discount that. These people vote, too--and their elected representatives are charged with keeping their wishes in place.
The Insurance Companies see AIDS and extra coverage for dependents that they have to discount; while it's not their top issue, they probably don't want platoons of actuaries redoing all their statistics for the next 3 years..lol
and the State sees loss of revenue from inheritance loopholes being closed. PLUS, it sees a legal nightmare over definition.
I think everybody else is pretty much OK with it-most people don't give a darn what other people do, as long as it doesn't bother them.
The example I used against the ultra-conservatives in my family when the subject came up ("They can have a civil union, but marriage is a sacrament of God.") was to point out that it never bothered them when atheists or non-believers in the god of Abraham called themselves, "Married." This issue is SOLELY the result of gay marriage, and changing the semantics is just a way to be able to remain bigoted and separate themselves from "those people."
Sorry if I offend anyone, but there you have it.
We need your help at
Link, and
Link
The one links to the other.
We'll be waiting for you.