Marriage: what should be the relation of church and state?

Ed Vasicek

A hot topic today is whether the church should get out of the marriage business, whether the government should do civil unions, and terminology.

For example, should we keep the state terminology the same “marriage” and come up with a new term for a religiously endorsed heterosexual marriage, like Eden Marriage (or some other term). This would be the term for church/synagogue/mosque endorsed heterosexual marriages as well. I couldn’t fit all that in the first choice below, so please understand “church” in this way below. This would be the easiest and quickest to implement.

Discussion

"Most Americans believe in heaven, hell and a few old-fashioned heresies."

SharperIron

“Two thirds (67 percent) of Americans believe heaven is a real place, according to the survey….Just under half of Americans (45 percent) say there are many ways to heaven… Catholics (67 percent) and Mainline Protestants (55 percent) are most likely to say heaven’s gates are wide open, with many ways in. Evangelicals (19 percent) and Black Protestants (33 percent) are more skeptical.” Survey: heaven, hell & a bit of heresy

Discussion

RC Synod of Bishops Proposing Radical Changes With Those In "Irregular" Relationships

Greg Linscott

The relatio post disceptationem read aloud in the synod hall, while defending fundamental doctrine, calls for the church to build on positive values in unions that the church has always considered “irregular,” including cohabitating couples, second marriages undertaken without annulments and even homosexual unions.

Regarding homosexuals, it went so far as to pose the question whether the church could accept and value their sexual orientation without compromising Catholic doctrine.

Discussion