Jesus Wept

[rolanni]

YES ON ONE claims a victory for the "little guy," according to Marc Mutty, public affairs director for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland.

The rest of the story here. (That's here: http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/128048.html)

Comments

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Hum -- given that they have linked the marriage laws and religious freedom, what are the chances of getting the ACLU to file suit to repeal ALL marriage laws as violations of the separation of church and state? After all, if you claim that the government is meddling in religion, then... I wonder how they would feel if the government was forced by the Supreme Court to quit meddling in any kind of marriage?

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

You're right; the error was made when the government accepted "marriage" as a basis for taxes and other secular benefits. The YES folks argue, vociferously, that marriage is a religious institution that has nothing to do with the government, despite ample real-world evidence to the contrary.

The government therefore needs stop taking the easy road, establish its own guidelines for who gets a break on taxes, and let the religious people have their lollipop.

Clearly, having only been married 29 years, I don't understand marriage as these religious people understand it, because I'm not the least bit afraid of the idea that other people might marry. I will note, in the spirit of Full Disclosure, that we were married in a civil ceremony.

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

...addendum to the above.

Steve and I were living together, and perfectly happy to continue that way. The reason we got married? I fell ill - and the hospital called my mom, possibly the very last person I would ever want to make a medical decision for me.

After that rather scary demonstration of the Force of Law, we got married, so that we could legally care for each other.

[brock-tn.livejournal.com]

And that's basically the reason why the religious institution of marriage got so wrapped up in civil law: marriage has always been seen as an act/event which changes the legal status under the civil law of one or both principals.

[saruby.livejournal.com]

28 years together in January and no marriage likely at this rate.

The scary thing is that even those people who go to the trouble of having Medical Powers of Attorney and Living Wills often end up with the partner sitting outside the room, while the hospital staff talks to family. It doesn't always happen, but enough that I don't want to depend on all those legal documents. After all, what's the use of suing the hospital after the fact. You want your loved one with you when you are sick or injured.