I do but I don’t
This week saw historic hearings at the Supreme Court regarding the legality of gay marriage. Much has been written and talked about this subject, but most of it misses context and is the usual who's winning - who's losing coverage. Let’s step back and look at the role of government in the social fabric of society and how marriage is part of it. Equality in relationships is for many of us a deeply personal matter about our families and isn’t simply a matter of justice and identity. Obtaining permission from the state – receiving a license to marry – is a validation of equality and acceptance, but doesn't seem right. Is there a better way? Wikipedia states: “For most of Western history, marriage was a private contract between two families. Until the 16th-century, Christian churches accepted the validity of a marriage on the basis of a couple’s declarations. If two people claimed that they had exchanged marital vows—even withou...