"Jesus would rather kill, not marry, gay people" - Franklin Graham

[Ravenshire]

Well, I think the only essential parts are the verbal consent given to the party qualified to issue marriages, and the signing of the legal document. Everything else is ceremony. That's England though, so I couldn't be sure about Germany or other countries. In less secular places I would bet a religious ceremony is not optional.

It sounds like England handles it much the same way we do. Not surprising since most of our laws were originally taken from English common law. Here in the states, that secular, legally binding document isn't legally binding until signed by the person doing the ceremony. That can be a judge, some local shaman, or in some jurisdictions it can be the county clerk that performs the ceremony and signs the paper. Is that about how it's done there?

I'd be down for civil unions as long as the power to seal that secular document is stripped from the local witch doctors.

Having written that out, the irony of "they're changing the meaning!!!" really hit home. RR, Stevie and the lot are bitching and moaning over a change to the the secular meaning of the term marriage. Nobody is going to force one of their holy sorcerers to marry a gay couple. But, it's like the Supreme Court murdered their puppies.