hrothgar, on 2011-July-05, 04:50, said:
I don't object to any of this. I'd even go so far as to call it a good idea...
However, I wouldn't call this set of legal responsibilities a marriage (regardless of whether it is being issued to a man and a woman, two women, or three guys and a wombat)
I view this system as being significantly different from the existing standard here in the United States, both for heterosexuals and for homosexuals.
Part of the reason to chose an expression other than "marriage" is indicate that this is separate and distinct from what came before.
However, I wouldn't call this set of legal responsibilities a marriage (regardless of whether it is being issued to a man and a woman, two women, or three guys and a wombat)
I view this system as being significantly different from the existing standard here in the United States, both for heterosexuals and for homosexuals.
Part of the reason to chose an expression other than "marriage" is indicate that this is separate and distinct from what came before.
I understand that, and from your American perspective you see "religious" as before and "secular" as after. After all, christianity in the US is as old as the US itself, isn't it?
But marriages go back much longer than our modern religions. They were there first. Then they obtained a place within the various religions. And after that religions tried to make it look as if they owned the monopoly on marriage.
Native Americans did get married long before christianity reached the US, didn't they?
Rik