Can’t any religious concerns people have be dealt with by only legalizing same-sex civil marriage and letting religions define religious marriage?
It is a common fallacy to think that there are two kinds of marriages—civil and religious. In fact, there is only one institution of marriage in any society, and there can be only one, since marriage cannot at the same time mean the union of a man and a woman and also the union of any two individuals. It is also essential to understand that governments did not “create” marriage. It is a “pre-political” social institution, meaning that it was created by societies before the social institution of government was created. In simple societies, marriage was regulated by customs, mores, taboos and other means. As societies became more complex, the more recent institution of government was enlisted to regulate marriage. So while there is a governmental element, it is only supporting a social institution that had already been long established.
Related Questions
- Must a Catholic oppose gay rights legislation, such as legislation that permits civil marriage for same-sex couples or allows adoption by LGBT persons?
- Does civil marriage for gay and lesbian couples affect churches or other religious institutions? What if my religion opposes same-sex relationships?
- Can’t any religious concerns people have be dealt with by only legalizing same-sex civil marriage and letting religions define religious marriage?
