re: "Christians didn't invent marriage. Why do they think they can define it."

Or underpayment...

80% of weddings take place in a church or synagogue. LINK

you can marry a goat for all I care...and Im a Christian. If that is what you want -- go for it. Personally, though, Im not too fond of goat smell...but if that is between you, the goat, and God.

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It's hard to argue against the value of a two parent home. Those communities with higher marriage rates also tend to be more affluent and the children have more successful outcomes. The government promoting marriage through tax policy and message is for the good of society IMO.

I think the religious should view it like the Catholic Church though. They don't care about your government marriage, the only one that matters is within the Church. So churches can marry who they please and recognize the marriages they please.

Everyone (should be) is happy and we all win.

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Before now, I've always been for the government going out of the marriage business and benefits, but you have swain me. Great post.

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Why do people think that legalizing gay marriage will force churches to marry gay people? It won't - government can't tell churches, synagogues, what ceremonies to perform.

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They are already forcing bakers to bake cakes for gay weddings. Due to many churches' stances on exclusion of gays, many government bodies are threatening the revocation of their tax-exempt status if they do not cease discriminating. If they lose their tax-exempt status, churches will be subject to the same anti-discrimination laws that govern businesses which state that they cannot discriminate based on the reasons of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, race, or religion.

They're damned if they do, damned if they don't.

Don't be fooled. Just because the government says they won't do something doesn't mean they won't. In fact, it often insures that they will. If you give the government an inch, they'll take a mile. This is how governments grow and become too large.

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government can't tell churches, synagogues, what ceremonies to perform.

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They can tell bakeries which cakes to bake, you think they'd stop there?

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Pretty sure that would be unconstitutional.

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It would be, but when was the last time the Constitution prevented the government from doing something unconstitutional?

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Churches have been able to discriminate against women for years, and how many have lost their tax exempt status over that?

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Good retort. Was my statement nonfactual? Do some denominations not allow women in certain leadership positions? If you're going to claim that churches are going to lose their tax exempt status over discrimination claims over gay marriage, why haven't they done so for discrimination claims over equal employment?

We accept that the Catholic church doesn't allow women to be priests. Why can we not accept that some denominations won't allow gay marriage and that most people are going to be fine with that?

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It's a pretty clear violation of the 1st amendment.

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Exactly. And this SCOTUS in particular would never allow it.

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I don't think the constitution will prevent the government from revoking anyone's tax exempt status though.

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They'll have to revoke every church and every religion's tax exempt status, because if it's punishment for acting their religious beliefs it won't fly.