In article .com,
"Jay Honeck" wrote:


4. What's a "gay married couple"?


Well, I'll take that one on, Jay, by asking in return -- and in
seriousness -- what's a "married couple"?

If the answer is, it's an essentially *legal* status, based on state or
Federal laws regulating marriage, then I'll want to know why it
shouldn't be available to gay as well as heterosexual couples. I'll be
glad to listen to arguments on all sides of that issue; but I'll only be
interested in or willing to hear arguments based on "civic" or "civil"
(as in civilian) factors -- married couples should get these tax breaks
or otherwise for the following "civic" reasons -- but *no religious
based arguments whatsoever*, because in a democracy I'm not willing to
have the laws that govern me be determined by anyone else's religious
beliefs.

If on the other hand it's an essentially *religion-based* status,
determined by whether or not some religion has in the eyes of God"
married this couple, well, then fine, no problem at all -- except that
that makes marriage an essentially private, personal religious matter,
which should have absolutely no legal standing or recognition *anywhere
in law, or in legal or civic matters* (any more than someone should get
a lowered bus fare or a tax deduction because they took Communion last
Sunday).

[Or, on the other hand, if you want to argue that married couples should
get these special legal rights because some church married them -- well,
you'd better be prepared for churches that are quite willing to marry
gay couples.]