Just SOME of the differences between the two include:
1. Taxes (Married people benefit; civil unions don't.)
2. Estate taxes (Married people can pass property free of charge to the surviving spouse; civil unions must pay.)
3. Hospital visitation rights
4. Hospital decision rights (Pull the plug? Keep them alive? Civil unions have no say.)
5. Property rights (If your civil union partner dumps you after 10 years, you usually can't get half the stuff. If you've been the "homemaker", you're out on the street without a penny to your name.)
6. Adoption rights
And many other differences.
I'm not saying you should be in favor of gay marriage. I'm asking why some of you say that we "don't need" gay marriage because civil unions are "the same". Isn't it obvious that they AREN'T the same?
2007-01-14 16:20:32 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
"Separate but equal" didn't work for blacks in the 60's. It won't work now.
And anyone who's under the delusion that marriage is a "religious" institution needs to then explain why Atheists can be married.
2007-01-14 16:31:20 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 7⤊ 0⤋
A marriage is a religious ceremony and without the paperwork the court won't recognize it. Anyone that wants their ceremony MUST sign that states required paperwork and it is a civil union recognized by the civil courts. I would try to change the paperwork's name after the civil union law passes to reduce the duplication of effort so all fill the same paperwork. The Christian god doesn't do paperwork.
2016-03-28 22:14:01 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
We'll make provisions for all of that. Is that ok. And you don't have to worry, it will still take a LAWYER to un-unionize you.
There is a religioius issue with the concept of same sex marriage.
Furthermore religions should be allowed to marry whom they chose. A Catholic priest will NOT marry a Catholic to someone who is NOT in a Catholic church. That;s their right.
Of course I can make it easier on you, I'm tending to GIVE UP on the institution of Marriage. It's PURE BS with no fault divorce.
Let the religious have GOD SANCTIONED UNIONS between men and women and let's let Marriage just be a civil thing for the Atheists.
Marriage is out of vogue anyway. It's 49% of the country today.
No one wants it anymore. LEt's have CHURCH SANCTIONED coupling and let the CHURCH sanction it and set their own rules and lets's stop calling CHURCH things marriages.
Marriage has become a really sick, depraved institution that few believe in anymore.
2007-01-14 16:51:07 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because christians think all non-believers or those who go against their rules are not as worthy as they are, and don't deserve the same rights as christians do. If they would look back in history, seeking freedom to live without oppression from the church was what got america started.
But in the end it comes down to voting. Find out what a canidates standpoint is on this issue. Find people who are running for offices that support your freedom to marry and then get all your friends together and vote for them. If there are enough people who support equal rights, it can happen.
2007-01-14 16:32:43 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
I think a lot of gay couples would rather be married than "civilly unified". It may seem like semantics, but it obviously means something to them.
Realistically, it's not like any church would have to accept the marriage if it went against their way of thinking. It would just be a marriage for legal purposes.
My personal opinion? I really don't care about the issue at all. I think with all the problems facing the US nowadays, this issue is such small change. We put way too much effort into it.
2007-01-14 16:26:33 · answer #5 · answered by Lunarsight 5 · 5⤊ 1⤋
Well, it isn't the occasional Christian or the gay marriage laws would have passed in all the States that have had them on their ballots. I disagree with the majority view, but if you are gay or lesbian, you will just have to learn to work within the laws that we already have.
2007-01-14 16:28:09 · answer #6 · answered by rndyh77 6 · 1⤊ 4⤋
A civil union is a legally recognized union equivalent to marriage. - wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_union
2007-01-14 16:27:06 · answer #7 · answered by Nicole 4 · 1⤊ 4⤋
Because the Institution of Marriage is between one Man and one Woman and for the main purpose of Pro-Creating.
2007-01-14 16:25:15 · answer #8 · answered by Anton Mathew 5 · 2⤊ 8⤋