Tom Beck wrote:In our country all people that are not related in bloodline (siblings, parent/child, etc.) and who permanently live together (at least six months officially registered or through a contract at a notary) in twosomes can get themselves officially registered as a partnership. As such the state awards them the same rights as a married couple. Only difference is in succession. A partner has to pay more in succesion tax, but only if they haven't got a contract/will at the notary so merely are registered. Anybody who wants to get a public marriage certificate can do so without much hassle. We do however in language make a very rigid distinction between public marriage (i.e. voor de wet getrouwd/boterbriefje) and religious marriage (i.e. kerkelijk huwelijk).
It's the word "marriage" that appears to have some mystical, totemic meaning for some lamebrained lazyminded easily stampeded credulous dolts (i.e., most of the American public).
<snipped some> But the idea of calling it "marriage" does make me uncomfortable on some vague level I can't really explain. Product of my environment, I suppose. If it makes me a dolt that 36 years of being told that marriage is between a man and a woman isn't easy to just shrug off, so be it.
Jim
Gay divorce is sure to follow Maru
Oh and btw I just checked, Belgium also allows same sex marriages. So do apperently two provinces in Canada.
Sonja :o) GCU: The same thing different
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