re: #341 SixDegrees

The argument then becomes: why shouldn’t California simply stop issuing marriage licenses, period? A civil union is a legal construct. At the state level, so is a marriage licesnse; it holds no religious or moral standing, implicit or explicit.

To my mind, this is the ultimate solution to this issue: get the state out of the marriage business, and give everyone civil union permits. Let the issue of whether such a union constitutes a marriage rest with individual churches.

States aren’t allowing gay marriage; they’re allowing civil unions. States also aren’t discriminating against sexual orientation by granting identical permits under different names to different classes. Definition of marriage moves back where it belongs - under the control of the church or other organization granting it, a grant which confers no legal standing.

Problem solved. The only people unhappy will be those who simply don’t want gays around, period. And they’re simply not worthy of attention, being intrinsically anti-American and all.

I’d be fine with that, except for the issue of extra-state protections and legal issues, like social security.