“The spiritual meaning of “marriage” is irrelevant in arguing law.”
Completely irrelevant and that is as it should be. As Orthodox Christians, we are not married because the state says we are, we are married because God’s Holy Orthodox Church through the Mysterium of Matrimony betrothed and crowned and joined us to each other according to God’s law. Marriage “contracts”, vaguely symbolized in the West by the exchange of vows, have nothing to do with us.
That the state says we are married in its eyes means we get certain benefits from the state and undertake certain state mandated obligations, some of which are co-extensive with what The Church teaches for marriage and some of which aren’t. “Gay marriage” is as much a creation of the state for purposes and reasons sufficient apparently for the state as male/female secular marriage is. It has nothing at all to do with us as Orthodox Christians.
I completely agree and feel largely disconnected from this spiritually , but given that we do live in this world and need to vote, I was kind of asking for the opinion of K "the lawyer" and not K "the theologian" on this.
But you answered the question anyway, pure legality is no real defense of the sancitity of "marriage".
So why is it the Pastor will say....Do you....take this WOMAN....to be your LAWFULLY WEDDED WIFE?