tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11093162.post2625008537213918610..comments2024-03-23T19:16:01.555-07:00Comments on Can it happen here?: Marriage: what is it?janinsanfranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07548452260456734928noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11093162.post-2600922911270891702009-01-23T11:53:00.000-08:002009-01-23T11:53:00.000-08:00Damon: I completely agree with you about this: civ...Damon: I completely agree with you about this: civil marriage and religious marriage need to be separate matters. Some will have both, some may have one or the other.<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://www.politickernj.com/matt-friedman/26006/panel-finds-civil-unions-are-not-equal-marriage" REL="nofollow">A New Jersey State Commission</A> studied whether civil unions really provided equality for LGBT couples (they have civil unions there, like Vermont) and concluded a resounding "no." It's great that someone has done some actual research.janinsanfranhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07548452260456734928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11093162.post-73574044377678746092009-01-23T06:12:00.000-08:002009-01-23T06:12:00.000-08:00Jan,I think the entire ongoing debate is absurd. ...Jan,<BR/><BR/>I think the entire ongoing debate is absurd. The problem is the word "marriage" itself. It seems to me that we need a complete separation between what a church calls a marriage and what the law calls a marriage. While it technically exists now through the marriage "license", it's not a true separation.<BR/><BR/>I think that the government simply needs to say that anyone can marry anyone else, as long as both parties are "of age" and both consent. That's a civil issue.<BR/><BR/>People can have their marriages sanctioned by a church or religion if they want, but the government needs to have nothing to do with that.<BR/><BR/>Living in a state where the civil union thing got started, I still see lots of injustice. There are still many in Vermont fighting for civil unions to be replaced by marriage, because the whole "separate but equal" argument just doesn't work. Separate never equals equal.<BR/><BR/>On Tuesday, while watching the inauguration at work, I kept shaking my head "no" while Warren was talking. A co-worker asked me why I was doing that. I said "because he's a hate-mongering a**hole."<BR/><BR/>I don't think many of the so-called Christians in this country, especially the "fundamentalists" have ever bothered to read the New Testament of their Bible. They are living in an Old Testament mindset - where they are ruled by a vengeful God who demands strict obedience rather than a loving God of forgiveness.Damonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16393751713576765589noreply@blogger.com