Here’s a practical and elegant solution to the gay marriage issue.
Once again the meida is full of coverage over the fight for/against gay marriage. Politicians who want to impose their religious beliefs on all of us point to the biblical evidence to support their point of view. Other politicians who prefer an atmosphere of freer personal choice in the matter aren’t making a strong stand because they’re afraid of what it will do to their chances of reelection.
Well, here’s a simple solution. We value the separation of chuch and state. So, the State should get out of the marriage business. In other words, the only union recognized by any government, state or federal, is the civil union. The state’s interest should be limited to the legal consequences of a union between two consenting adults. Marriage is a religious ceremony. Leave marriage to the churches, and those religious traditions that allow same sex unions will do them, and those that do not, won’t.
This works out well for all concerned. Politicians don’t have to worry about the electorate, because the decision to “marry” a same sex couple is not theirs, it belongs to the respective religious tradition. Same sex couples can have all the legal protections that are currently enjoyed by married heterosexual couples. Every couple of any sexual preference can have a civil union recognized by the state, and a marriage in the religious tradition of their choice. If you don’t approve of same sex marriage, you can belong to a religious tradition in line with your beliefs. If you do approve of it, you can do the same.