I was thinking today about that second Libertarian commentator Tara linked to, and I came to the conclusion that this entire issue would be so much easier on everyone if our society as a whole adopted his approach (or part of it) to marriage. Separate religious and secular marriage, to the point that the marriage licence cannot be signed in a church. Have marriage, as a legal institution conferring rights and responsibilities on a couple, be a purely civil contract, just like buying a house or obtaining citizenship.
Then after the civil ceremony, for those who want it, they can celebrate or consecrate their marriage in a church. Churches can - as they already do - set their own rules as to who may get married under their procedures. It's already the case that people may marry according to secular law who may not be married in church - for example, some, if not all, religions have restrictions on the remarriage of divorced persons. So if churches choose not to allow same-sex marriages, that's their right under their rules, but it wouldn't affect anyone's legal rights, such as rights to property, pensions, next-of-kin rights and so on.
Me? I'd be all for it.
Wendy
