Bob Hyatt proposes an interesting solution to the same sex marriage connundrum. As marriage is a church term, states shouldn’t “marry” anyone, hetrosexuals included. They should however offer civil unions to everyone.
Curious Christian
Reflections on culture, nature, and spirituality from a Christian perspective
Should no one should be “married” by the state?
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5 responses to “Should no one should be “married” by the state?”
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That’s my solution. First time I read this idea was C.S. Lewis. It seems to me that it would take alot of the controversy out of the whole situation.
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Yeah, I reckon much of the ‘gay marriage debate’ is a symptom of the dregs of Christendom — an area where church and state haven’t clearly separated…
ArthurLikeLike
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The problem with the proposed solution is that the so-called “family values” crowd (as opposed to people who ACTUALLY care about families and values) is that they don’t stop at trying to stop same-sex marriage. They want to prohibit ANY recognition or protection of same-sex relationships. Take as evidence the fact that they tried to abolish same sex domestic partnerships (not marriages) by majority vote in the state of Washington. Also consider the number of proposed (some of which passed) amendments to state constitutions that not only prohibited same-sex marriage, but civil unions and domestic partnerships as well.
Personally, I’m of the opinion that maintining marriage as a “church word” is a ship that has sailed, sunk to the bottom of the ocean, and isn’t coming back. (And which “church” gets to own it, anyway?) At this point, it has become a civil term as well as a religious one. The best that churches can hope for (and I think they have every right to do so) is to decide which civil marriages they wish to bless or approve of. Kinda like most churches already do. After all, I still know of no Catholic church that has to approve of or recognize the second marriage of a parishioner whose first marriage was not formally annulled by Mother Church.LikeLike
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All human cultures, AFAIK, have had marriages since the start; it’s not an exclusively, nor originally Christian concept; rather it’s part of God’s gifts to every human being in the nature of creation. ‘Christian marriage’ is a Christian concept, though, and this is what churches should celebrate. A Christian marriage is a conceptual superset of a civil marriage; like how a Civil union is a superset of a de facto relationship.
[[[[Christian Marriage], Civil marriage], Civil union], De facto]LikeLike
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Like I said, Notes from underground: The State should get out of the marriage business
http://methodius.blogspot.com/2006/09/state-should-get-out-of-marriage.htmlLikeLike
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