[jde1953]

'The religion issue is irrelevant. Priests are generally notary pulblics who execute the marriage license. No government agency recognizes a "religious" ceremony.'

My feelings precisely. So why have I heard so many people, during the debates over same-sex marriage, claim that marriage is a religious institution? Why does Pres. Bush refer to it as "sacred," wishing to preserve its "sanctity," if this is not in the religious sense?

In any case, only the *civil* part of marriage is recognized under the law as things stand now; the law doesn't care which supernatural entity you have called upon to bless the civil contract, and, as you correctly point out, the religious part alone doesn't qualify.

I think we are more in agreement than disagreement here.

[maica]

I think the word 'sanctity' is used to elevate concept of the 'union' of one man and one woman to a new entity. You might say that marriages are 'blessed' by the community in which the two entrants live. This has been the custom in every successful society.

[Wolfstar]

So why have I heard so many people, during the debates over same-sex marriage, claim that marriage is a religious institution?

Because for much of human history, in most societies, marriages were made via religious ceremonies, not civil servants!

[longtermmemmory]

Which is why homosexual civil unions should be just as invalid.

Marriage is not about you sexual behavior in the bedroom. (see no fault divorce) It is about how you raise children produced NATURALLY. Any one exception is not relevant. Homosexuals are fond of pointing to infertile couples or couples that do not want children.

A cohabitation agreement entered into by any homosexual couple is enforcable as a contract in any state.

Giving civil unions the exact same gov. status as a marriage is just a sucker game on conservatives. The leftists and homosexuals are just playing word games. Marriage regardless of what it is called must remain distict from homosexual "unions". I say every freeper is entitled to use the title "Doctor" in front of their names. It is a matter of fairness since people of free republic have a higher sense of awareness.