Comments on: The congregation that won’t marry anyone – yet http://www.humanistlife.org.uk/2010/02/the-congregation-that-wont-marry-anyone-yet/ Humanist perspectives on the here and now Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:47:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Antony http://www.humanistlife.org.uk/2010/02/the-congregation-that-wont-marry-anyone-yet/comment-page-1/#comment-571 Antony Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:59:58 +0000 http://www.humanistlife.org.uk/?p=1620#comment-571 Ah, here's what I should have asked for clarification on - the thing I didn't understand and which was actually what was bothering me when I posted the above: Are Unitarian's continuing to mark and celebrate couplings in their ceremonies? i.e. is it just that same-sex and opposite-sex couples are now equal in the sense that you are effectively saying to them "sorry, you'll have to go to a registry office to get the legal bit done". That would also have the happy side-effect that Unitarian and Humanist couples are now equal :-) Ah, here’s what I should have asked for clarification on – the thing I didn’t understand and which was actually what was bothering me when I posted the above:

Are Unitarian’s continuing to mark and celebrate couplings in their ceremonies? i.e. is it just that same-sex and opposite-sex couples are now equal in the sense that you are effectively saying to them “sorry, you’ll have to go to a registry office to get the legal bit done”.

That would also have the happy side-effect that Unitarian and Humanist couples are now equal :-)

]]> By: Antony http://www.humanistlife.org.uk/2010/02/the-congregation-that-wont-marry-anyone-yet/comment-page-1/#comment-570 Antony Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:10:06 +0000 http://www.humanistlife.org.uk/?p=1620#comment-570 What's the difference between a marriage and civil-partnership? I'd prefer to live in a secular state, and therefore think that governments have no business interfering with any non-civil aspects of marriage that may exist (or be purported to exist). Let me see if I've understood the state of our marriage laws: * - Humanist celebrants can't do the registration bit of marriages and civil-partnerships. * - Muslim clergy can't do the registration bit of marriages. Which (often?) leads to it being skipped, and finding one doesn't have certain legal rights can be a horrible shock and cause serious problems further down the line. * - Quakers and Unitarians would like to be able to marry same-sex couples, but currently aren't legally able to. Thanks. I'll be post-feminist in a post-patriarchy and post-humanist in a post-theocracy :-) What’s the difference between a marriage and civil-partnership? I’d prefer to live in a secular state, and therefore think that governments have no business interfering with any non-civil aspects of marriage that may exist (or be purported to exist).

Let me see if I’ve understood the state of our marriage laws:

* – Humanist celebrants can’t do the registration bit of marriages and civil-partnerships.

* – Muslim clergy can’t do the registration bit of marriages. Which (often?) leads to it being skipped, and finding one doesn’t have certain legal rights can be a horrible shock and cause serious problems further down the line.

* – Quakers and Unitarians would like to be able to marry same-sex couples, but currently aren’t legally able to.

Thanks. I’ll be post-feminist in a post-patriarchy and post-humanist in a post-theocracy :-)

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