Quote:
Originally Posted by mykalberta
Equal Rights is not offensive, its offensive to demand a religious based word (this case marriage) be associated with a secular lifestyle and then attempt to villify religion because it has a different view. I wholehardedly agree that there should be a separation of Church and State, however in both our countries when it comes to marriage there is not.
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I think you and I to some extent agree--that the state should administer civil unions to all comers regardless of gender, without discrimination. Churches, not being associated with the government, are as free to not marry same-sex couples as they are to not marry members of other religious denominations--IMO.
It follows that church marriage would have a different status--and that those people married in a church would need to get their "union" approved by the government in order for it to have any legal standing, but that's another issue. Historically, marriage isn't really a religious institution in any case, but that's well traveled ground on this board.