craigsub, you are very frequently correct about a good many things - and it is true that recognizing gay marriages or gay civil unions would drive costs up for businesses - but I don't think there would be any more scams than there are now. Are you suggesting that all the single guys you employ are going to "marry" their buddies to get them benefits? LOL

If the gov't stopped issuing marriage licenses and left that to the churches, then any church that married same sex couples would immediately be put in one category by the public, and those that deny same sex marriages in another category. The illegitimate churches would certainly feel some fallout from the public.

I personally don't care where anyone wants to stick their pecker, and I have no opposition to the civil union concept or in leaving the decision to individual churches, but it seems silly for gay Christians to want "holy matrimony" when the Bible seems to condemn homosexuality (just judging by all the Biblical citations I see in the paper, haven't actually read much of the book myself ).