Marriage is a sacrament only for baptized Christians. Only the baptized can receive the other sacraments.
Marriage is also a natural institution, and not something only for Christians. It is important for society that even those who don't believe in it as a sacrament still get married.
So marriage is an area of "mixed jurisdiction," if you will. Both the church and the state have an interest in it, which is why even for a church wedding you still need a marriage license from the state.Dick Tracy here: Would you support legislation to ban atheist marriage?Just you try to get married in the U.S. without a marriage license from the state in which you are getting married. Just you try.
Ooops, see, it is a civil and legal instituition that religious have gussied up with their sacraments. Besides, if Newt Gingrich can get married three times, Rush Limbaugh can get married four times, and the Family can have a huge circle jerk every night in their home on C Street, nothing we atheists do can destroy the sanctity of marriage.
That would be unconstitutional under the First and Fourteenth Amendments. Your church or temple or whatever can decide not to marry anyone they don't want to marry. But the government has to extend marriage benefits to all or none, regardless of religious beliefs or lack thereof.Dick Tracy here: Would you support legislation to ban atheist marriage?Clearly, marriage is NOT a religious sacrement.
It is a secular contract, which is why you can't get married without the state issuing a license.Dick Tracy here: Would you support legislation to ban atheist marriage?
Marriage is a legally binding contract.....The government controls marriage... not god.
No, because that defeats the purpose of being freeDick Tracy here: Would you support legislation to ban atheist marriage?
not in The Land of the Free
something many christians want to destroy
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