The controversy over gay marriage is an example of what happens when the state gets mixed up in religion. Our Founding Fathers wisely erected a wall of separation to keep the state out of church matters and we'd be well advised to follow their lead. Limited government. Differentiate between marriage and civil unions. The former is a religious bond. The latter a legal contract. The state shouldn't be setting the rules for religion and the church shouldn't be enforcing legal contracts. Quit mixing the two up. Of course, calling for limited government hasn't won any votes among the Republican base for at least a generation.
I've never seen this suggestion discussed. Everyone debates whether the legislatures and courts should extend marriage to gay couples. Why not end the debate by going the other way and getting the legislatures and courts to focus only on the legal contract end of civil unions, no matter what the sex of the couple, and let the churches decide what they want to call a "marriage" or not?
I don't know who among the red staters and blue staters will be for and who will be against my suggestion. Red staters will probably be against it because they don't want tolerance for gays by anyone, anyhow. And blue staters will probably be against it because they want nothing less than state recognition for marriage for gay couples. Opposition from all sides is a pretty good sign that my suggestion is neither left nor right. ;-)
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