[McMurphy]

I suppose that is a fair distinction to make: religious marriages and civil unions. I don't believe it would be within a State's proper framework of power to force religious institutions to perform ceremonies they do not believe in. Seperation of Church and State goes both ways, afterall.

I do believe that civil unions (which is of the same legal standings as a marriage conducted within a church) between same-sex relationships is an important thing to officially uphold on the federal level. There was once a time in the United States that it was illegal for interracial marriages to occur (and be assured nay-sayers cited the Bible then, too); thus, religious groups refused to conduct them under the same guise of reasoning. Thankfully, that minority group issue was given serious attention by the courts and was rewarded its rightful legal status. Because of it, society (over time) accepted the unions, and churches started to perform the traditional blessings of the marriage. I realize that the relationship between law, religion, and society is far more complex than what I have suggested, but I do believe that if civil unions between gay couples are allowed to be performed by courthouses, the larger religious institutions will some day conduct religious-based marriages, and society will become more and more acceptive of the idea.