Spokane7
48°
February 19, 2012 in Opinion, Letters
Marriage is a civil matter
When the state of Washington authorizes a marriage by issuing a marriage license, it is for a civil contract. All couples who receive a state marriage license, and who return it after a ceremony to be recorded by the government, are united under a legal and binding contract with rights and responsibilities defined by the state.
If a religious group does not want to authorize or sanctify gay marriage, that is perfectly fine. They don’t have to within the context of their religious beliefs. However, it is the civil contract through the state that makes the marriage legal, not religious approval.
Valerie F. Adams
Spokane
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Arch_Druid on February 19 at 10:27 a.m.
That is entirely correct. In fact, heterosexual couples don’t even have to have a religious wedding if they don’t want one. The wedding is still legal under the law as long as they have both signed a wedding certificate.
The state of Washington has now extended the right of marriage and the contract thereof to gay and lesbian couples.