Reply #3: Civil marriage appeals to me, only when that is the ONLY union the STATE

[havocmom]

recognizes FOR ALL PEOPLE. If you wanna religious ceremony also for your union, fine and dandy, go for it. Individual churches can decide the issue of who gets their blessings and individuals can decide which churches to support and belong to. But the state should not be sanctioning religion via recognizing certain religious ceremonies as legal, civil instruments of partnership. Since not all religious joining ceremonies are sanctioned by all states as legitimate marriages, no religious ceremony should be. To allow only some is for the state to advocate for particular religions.

Want to make it legal, Mr. & Mrs. Fundie-Bigot? Go to the JP and We the People will recognize your marriage, but only if you recognize the marriages of Mr. & Mr. Different-Lifestyle and Ms. & Ms. We-Can-Love-Too. Want a religious affair? Go for it, but that is not a legal instrument for anyone in terms of granting marriage benefits as defined by laws. That is how to make partnership choices fair in a society which is legally defined by the Constitution as secular.