Reply #4: Who gets to define marriage? [View All]

[MadAsHellNewYorker]

I think the real question at the heart of the "Gay marriage" is the relationship between church and state and how we define marriage. Is marriage religious? If you say "yes" you must ask yourself the question why the state uses a religious institution to give benefits to its citizens. If marriage is religious, why is the state getting involved and defining it? If marriage is religious, why is the state giving out marriage licenses?

The state's job is to create institutions that treat its citizens with equality, not to limit benefits to certain kinds of people. If marriage is something that we don't want to change the "definition" of (read religiosity), the state needs to get out of the marriage business all together and create an institution where the over 1000 federal benefits can be passed to any 2 citizens of consenting age and not-blood related status who want to enter into a union together.

If something like the Federal marriage amendment passes, they should be pulling marriage license from couples who don't have kids or can't have kids. The FMA explicitly states that child birth is the sole purpose for marriage. I do not think some religious childless couples will appreciate having their union spit upon by the federal government.