Anonymous wrote:The religious aspect of marriage doesn't matter to the government. Your marriage is only recognized, for governmental purposes, if you file with the state. You need an officiant, and that can be a religious leader, or it can be a state official.

Marriage equality only expands the definition of marriage for legal purposes. Nothing is infringing on how religious institutions define, perform, or recognize the religious sacrament of marriage.

So I really don't get the anti-gay marriage conservative folks. They don't like government anyway. Why do they care what government does when it doesn't impact them?

Anonymous wrote:The religious aspect of marriage doesn't matter to the government. Your marriage is only recognized, for governmental purposes, if you file with the state. You need an officiant, and that can be a religious leader, or it can be a state official.

Marriage equality only expands the definition of marriage for legal purposes. Nothing is infringing on how religious institutions define, perform, or recognize the religious sacrament of marriage.

So I really don't get the anti-gay marriage conservative folks. They don't like government anyway. Why do they care what government does when it doesn't impact them?

Anonymous wrote:Complete nonsense. I was married in a joint religious ceremony. I have a friend who married at the DC Court and then had a far more expensive Marriage in a Church to appease MIL. Both marriages have lasted.

The truth is marriage is between two people, not two people + god.

Remember what Jesus said: There is no marriage in heaven. We live as the angels do.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would be all for a system where you go down to town hall and get a civil marriage and that's what counts for all your official govt documents and then you do whatever you/your religion wants as far as a private ceremony.

If you think about it, it's really a little bizarre that if someone sets up an online church they can then make people ministers eligible to marry people.

OP here, and that's what I was aiming at. I was hoping to achieve it without having to change any laws, by promoting the idea of having those who believe that a marriage sanctified by God must be between a man and a woman call such a marriage a Marriage, allowing them to accept that a mere marriage, carried out under secular law or by some church with more liberal policies, can be whatever the law or that other church defines. I want to make it even easier by continuing to accept any church's Marriage as a fully legal marriage, just like now, not requiring a separate civil ceremony -- as long as you have a civil license.