[troutman]

Originally Posted by ben voyonsdonc

Marriage, at its conception, was a religious institution. The word "marriage" has evolved substantially in the last few centuries and has taken on a much more social and civil dimension. Atheists and non-Christians are entitled to participate in this instituition and we can't take that away. We can't wind back time in order to disentangle marriage and remove the societal and civic dimensions...that genie can't and shouldn't be put back in the bottle.

Marriage is part of western secular society and should remain so. Churches are entitled to decide who they want to marry but governments don't have that same right.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriage

The origin of marriage may lie in a man's need for assurance as to paternity of his children. He might therefore be willing to pay a bride price or provide for a woman in exchange for exclusive sexual access.[13] Legitimacy is the consequence of this transaction rather than its motivation. In Comanche society, married women work harder, lose sexual freedom, and do not seem to obtain any benefit from marriage.[14] But nubile woman are a source of jealousy and strife in the tribe, so they are given little choice other than to get married. "In almost all societies, access to women is institutionalized in some way so as to moderate the intensity of this competition."[15]

The way in which a marriage is conducted has changed over time, as has the institution itself. Although the institution of marriage pre-dates reliable recorded history, many cultures have legends or religious beliefs concerning the origins of marriage.[16]

From the early Christian era (30 to 325 CE), marriage was thought of as primarily a private matter, with no religious or other ceremony being required.

Until 1545, Christian marriages in Europe were by mutual consent, declaration of intention to marry and upon the subsequent physical union of the parties.[25][26] The couple would promise verbally to each other that they would be married to each other; the presence of a priest or witnesses was not required.[27] This promise was known as the "verbum." If freely given and made in the present tense (e.g., "I marry you"), it was unquestionably binding;[25] if made in the future tense ("I will marry you"), it would constitute a betrothal. One of the functions of churches from the Middle Ages was to register marriages, which was not obligatory. There was no state involvement in marriage and personal status, with these issues being adjudicated in ecclesiastical courts.