A few more thoughts on Prop 8
Nov. 13th, 2008 03:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kayrePart of the problem is that many Protestant Christians truly believe that civil marriage and religious marriage are one and the same thing, because church and state are so blurred in this area.
Think about it. Yes, they go to a courthouse for a marriage license, but they probably also go to church for some preliminary meetings. Then they show up at church, and have a religious ceremony in which there is just one mention of "the power vested in me by the state", and they're married. They probably don't even sign the marriage certificate-- that's done by the clergyperson and designated witnesses, probably best man and maid of honor. It looks like all one thing-- they don't know that they've just participated in two ceremonies at once.
To most of Protestant America, that's how it is. Most marriages are performed by clergy. Clergy almost never perform a religious marriage that is not also a civil marriage; indeed, doing so may be illegal. Many clergy will perform marriages for people who are not religious but just want a 'church wedding.' Civil marriages performed by a justice of the peace are often quasi-religious, further blurring the line. Ask a Protestant if someone who is married by a justice of the peace is "really married" and they'll most likely say yes, though they might say a church marriage is "better."
How did this happen? By blurring the line separating church and state, by allowing clergy (but generally, no other non-government people) to execute civil marriage. Yes, I know that in Massachusetts anyone can get permission to perform marriage for one day. But the real solution is to make civil marriage and religious marriage two separate things, performed by two separate entities. Civil marriage (or as I'd much prefer, civil union for everyone) establishes a bunch of legal rights and responsibilities. Religious marriage involves promises and blessings but NOT legal rights and responsibilities (though there may be some overlap).
Maybe, possibly, if the line between church and state were drawn dark again, people would understand that civil marriage (or civil union) and religious marriage are two quite different things... And then maybe they could come to understand that people who don't qualify for their understanding of religious marriage should still have access to legal civil marriage.
Think about it. Yes, they go to a courthouse for a marriage license, but they probably also go to church for some preliminary meetings. Then they show up at church, and have a religious ceremony in which there is just one mention of "the power vested in me by the state", and they're married. They probably don't even sign the marriage certificate-- that's done by the clergyperson and designated witnesses, probably best man and maid of honor. It looks like all one thing-- they don't know that they've just participated in two ceremonies at once.
To most of Protestant America, that's how it is. Most marriages are performed by clergy. Clergy almost never perform a religious marriage that is not also a civil marriage; indeed, doing so may be illegal. Many clergy will perform marriages for people who are not religious but just want a 'church wedding.' Civil marriages performed by a justice of the peace are often quasi-religious, further blurring the line. Ask a Protestant if someone who is married by a justice of the peace is "really married" and they'll most likely say yes, though they might say a church marriage is "better."
How did this happen? By blurring the line separating church and state, by allowing clergy (but generally, no other non-government people) to execute civil marriage. Yes, I know that in Massachusetts anyone can get permission to perform marriage for one day. But the real solution is to make civil marriage and religious marriage two separate things, performed by two separate entities. Civil marriage (or as I'd much prefer, civil union for everyone) establishes a bunch of legal rights and responsibilities. Religious marriage involves promises and blessings but NOT legal rights and responsibilities (though there may be some overlap).
Maybe, possibly, if the line between church and state were drawn dark again, people would understand that civil marriage (or civil union) and religious marriage are two quite different things... And then maybe they could come to understand that people who don't qualify for their understanding of religious marriage should still have access to legal civil marriage.
