http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/547356/In particular the seventh paragraph:
First, marriage is simply not a Constitutional matter. Second, certain religious segments of the U.S. population have monopolized the term "marriage" and have endowed it with a restrictive theological bias. As a result marriage is no longer a concept defining a civil institution but a theological status being fought over not only between religions but also between denominations within religions. Third, the state's interest is solely in lawfulness along with civil harmony and stability. The internal form of civil unions is beyond the interest or the competence of the state, most especially when disputes about the nature and conditions of "marriage" entangle the state in settling theological arguments. The state's function is simply to insure that civil unions outwardly conform to the rule of law.
