Y’know, sometimes I give some of these theocons too much credit, because some of them are truly stupid. Witness what happened in Maryland, where Republican Delegate Donald H. Dwyer, sponsor of a bill that would explicitly outlaw gay marriage, wrote language into said bill that would’ve essentially outlawed divorce.
Such incredible stupidity, all because of a religious pissing war.
Sam has it right: let’s make it so that all marriages are replaced by civil unions, giving those who wish to have some sort of religious blessing go to their church to be “married.”
Why is it that I increasingly find the EU to be more my style?
Abby
2 February 2006 — 15:52
I’d actually go for the opposite. There’s been a brouha ha about whether Episcopal churches in Massachusetts should perform gay marriages or just continue with commitment ceremonies.
I think that gay and straight couples should get church-based commitment ceremnies. I say that marriage is a civil, legal institution and that the church (or at least mine) ought to get out of that business. The only reason that this is an issue at all is that priests and other ministers get a license from the state allowing them to perform a legally binding marriage ceremony. Really, that’s just silly.
forepac
3 February 2006 — 10:53
I can see that logic, but I think the word “marriage” has a religious meaning that’s now too deep to sever. It’s much easier to go the other way & relabel the legal term “marriage” as “civil union.” I think that’s a much more winnable fight.