A Decree of Separation - Splitting a wedge issue

Did you hear that the separation of church and state might end in divorce over this whole marriage-civil union affair?

But seriously, it is past time to rent asunder this divisive wedge issue into its constituent parts. The principal of church and state separation can guide us through. Marriage is a religious custom, while civil union is not, but is governmental, which marriage ought not be. Got that?

In other words, let's get government out of the marriage business altogether. Laws of our commonwealth should be rewritten, replacing 'marriage' with 'civil union' . Let religions marry or not, as they will, and let our government protect their right to do so, while freely uniting willing couples of all sorts in non-religious civil unions only, not in marriages, to which no religion can sanely object.

This gives freedom to individuals, sanity to law, and leaves any sanctity to religions and marriage.