Church and State Separation: It's Great!

(Being Liberal posted this on FB.   You'd "like" their page!)

Saw a Facebook comment responding to the above post, and my fingers wouldn't let it go unchallenged.  When there's a 12-step program for compulsive commentors,  I'll be the signing up.  Here's the core of the comments:

 

Fox Republican: . . . Marriage is religious so why do people who hate religion want to get married? Just have a civil union. and change all the government wording to co-habitators/civil unions.

 

Me:   Actually, many who seek marriage equality are people of faith, active in their places of worship (churches, synagogues, mosques, etc.) I don't know anyone who "hates" religion, . . . but not everyone agrees that marriage is religious. Churches are free to refuse marriage services to anyone they choose to exclude for whatever reason, such as divorce,  unwillingness to handle snakes, or whatever. That's another gift of church and state separation—in addition to churches not having to pay taxes.  However, should churches keep trying to make and influence public policy, they should lose their tax exempt status.