A new perspective on the gay marriage debate and a new twist on separation of church and state.
The May 10 editorial "Mr. Obama's welcome evolution" was wrong. As a Unitarian Universalist, I support gay marriage, and my denomination has married same-sex couples for many years. But that is where marriage belongs: in church, or wherever a couple choose to sanctify their relationship.
The state has no business in marriage decisions. It should offer to all couples, gay or straight, a license that serves as a legal contract defining their rights and responsibilities in matters such as inheritance, medical decisions and child-rearing.
Government sanctioning of marriage is a violation of separation of church and state, which is guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution. I support civil unions for all. Let's get the word marriage out of the statute books.
The definition of the word marriage need not change with the changing opinions or morals of some of the people in order for all to be equal. |