Get government out of marriage

[question everything]

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2004/03/10/opinion/commentary/3_9_0420_34_11.txt

By: TRAVIS CLEMENTSMITH - For The Californian

(snip)

The concept of marriage precedes the formation of modern nation-states. The U.S. government simply incorporated that tradition into certain public aspects for purposes of tax reporting, inheritance and accounting. These are hardly sanctified or religious pursuits.

Instead of making religions succumb to government ideals of equality, or have individuals accuse government of discrimination, have the government recognize only "civil unions" and reserve the concept of marriage to religious institutions. The government can define what a civil union is, such as "two legally consenting, non-related adults who are not engaged as a civil union with another party."

This way, religion is free to set and define standards for what constitutes a marriage. These can be as restrictive or liberal as the particular religion sees fit to morally regulate. This gives added significance to a Catholic marriage, a Baptist marriage, a Methodist marriage, or an Episcopalian marriage, not to mention a Jewish marriage or a Muslim marriage.

(snip)

This gets the state out of the business of regulating morality. If Mormons decided to revive the idea of polygamy, that is their decision, but the state is not required to recognize any such marriage beyond the first. That means no tax benefits, welfare, child support, etc., that is provided for by the state. The "non-relation" requirement keeps civil unions from "double-dipping" (a non-married father cannot enter a civil union with a dependent daughter, thus gaining extra tax benefits).

(snip)

[xchrom]

1. works for me