OK, it's time to set straight the argument over marriage. A marriage through the state is a legal agreement. A marriage through a church is a religious agreement recognized by the state.
The sole purpose of the state involving itself in marriage is to provide the legal protections and benefits that are afforded to all citizens of the state. The state has no interest in the religious standing of a marriage.
Now when you make your argument for or against gay marriage, you can base it on the facts.
Ed Slater, Baltimore