Should the government dictate or regulate marriage?

Should the government dictate marriage?

  • Yes

    Votes: 4 10.3%
  • No

    Votes: 16 41.0%
  • Nuanced (please elaborate below)

    Votes: 19 48.7%

  • Total voters
    39

Paulos23

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I have no issue with going to the "European style" marriage, where the government and religious marriage is handled separately.

In some states, it is that way, and people have two ceremonies. One for signing the license and one for their religion.
 
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Paidiske

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And the current process is broken from the religious standpoint because it accepts government certification of an essentially religious sacrament.

Again, not even all Christians would see it that way.
 
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Ken-1122

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And without the law, possibly leaving an unemployed spouse with no assets from the marriage?
Happens all the time when people live together, but there will be nothing stopping them from getting a government-enforced domestic partnership contract before moving-in together
 
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Ken-1122

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Legalized gay marriage? My views have nothing to do with that. However, IMO, legalizing gay marriage didn't go far enough, why didn't they also legalize polygamy, incest, bigamy, and all other adult relationships?
 
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pgp_protector

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Marriage defines the family unit, which is one of the core foundational building blocks of a society.

Our over emphasis on individualism has led to a view that sees marriage as being about the two people and about the two people only. This is fundamentally incorrect as it is also about how we in the rest of society relate to them, no longer as individuals but as a composite family unit.
For a long time (and in some areas they still do) "Society" frowned and even would prevent My Marriage to my wife, so Society having a say in my 30 year Marriage can stuff it.
 
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durangodawood

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For a long time (and in some areas they still do) "Society" frowned and even would prevent My Marriage to my wife, so Society having a say in my 30 year Marriage can stuff it.
Why would society do that?
 
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pgp_protector

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Government should recognize and enforce "domestic partnerships" of any two (or more) legal adults of sound mind who want to enter into such partnerships. They should go to lawyers and have those papers drawn up according to state requirements. It wouldn't take more than a few weeks for the legal industry to get that worked out into standard boilerplate equal to most of the current implied rights and responsibilities of marriage. The contract would also include agreements for ending the partnership, if that comes to past. But it would not be called "marriage." Businesses and commercial entities would abide by the parameters of the contract, as happens today when businesses do business with partnerships.

"Marriage" should be taken out of the civil lexicon and reserved for religions and other social relationships. If people want to be regarded as "husband and wife" or "wife and wife" or "husband and husband" or "husband and wife and wife" or whatever, then they would go to the clergycritter of their choice and get that pronouncement done. The government would not recognize those relationships any way, but presumably their personal friends and acquaintances would.

If someone cares about both realms, they'd get both a government-enforced domestic partnership contract and a clergy-certified marriage.
Really needs to be at the federal level vs state level.
Else when 2(or more) have a partnership & go to another state, their partnership would still be recognized legally.
 
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pgp_protector

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Why would society do that?
Lets see.
1) Interracial Marriage (Still looked down upon in some areas)
2) Previously Divorced (Still looked down upon in some areas)
3) Age Gap of more than 15 Years (Still looked down upon in some areas)

Had all 3 come up when looking for a church for our wedding.
Was simpler to just go to Reno after that.
 
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durangodawood

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Lets see.
1) Interracial Marriage (Still looked down upon in some areas)
2) Previously Divorced (Still looked down upon in some areas)
3) Age Gap of more than 15 Years (Still looked down upon in some areas)

Had all 3 come up when looking for a church for our wedding.
Was simpler to just go to Reno after that.
I guess that was 30 years ago..... but still, churches having an issue with "interracial" marriage. Ugh.

Otoh its clear that church generally can be very conservative and sometimes lag behind society morally.
 
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GreekOrthodox

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Belk

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I believe marriage in Christianity is covenantal, and as such, cannot or should not be regulated by the government. What is between man and God is just that, and manmade governments have no place in them.

I think one of the biggest mistakes Christians ever made was to hand that institution over to the government....

Well, given that it started out with the government and was then adopted as a rite/tradition that is not a mistake they made.
 
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andreha

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Legalized gay marriage? My views have nothing to do with that. However, IMO, legalizing gay marriage didn't go far enough, why didn't they also legalize polygamy, incest, bigamy, and all other adult relationships?

You left out marriage to spirits and aliens.
 
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GreekOrthodox

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andreha

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Desk trauma

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Legalized gay marriage? My views have nothing to do with that. However, IMO, legalizing gay marriage didn't go far enough, why didn't they also legalize polygamy, incest, bigamy, and all other adult relationships?
Because that wasn’t the case brought before the court. I do expect the precedent to be sighted if/when polygamist/plural marriage advocates seek legal standing for their unions just as Loving vs Virginia was sited in same sex marriage cases.
 
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pgp_protector

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