If you're like me, you may have overdosed on the subject of gay marriage the last few days. I am only affected in that I am saddened when any group of people does not have the same rights as everyone else. In the context of the SCOTUS decision, I don't see it as a religious issue. Each individual religion will decide that for themselves. Even within the Christian community there is division. Some churches have accepted it, some haven't, and some are still wrestling with the issue.

The point for me is, we do not live in a theocracy. If ISIS has taught us anything, it SHOULD be that we SHOULDN'T want to. When an extreme faction of a religion takes over, crazy things can happen.

There are many religions in this country. And there are people who practice no religion at all. Some of those people are spiritual, but not religious. It is a broad spectrum. IMHO the preferred goal in our country would be to make sure that all people, regardless of their religious beliefs (or lack thereof) have the same rights and privileges. In a perfect country no one group would be able to carve out "rights" that no one else gets.

Enter marriage. Some Christians want to claim it as their own. But, like it or not, at some point, governments began issuing marriage licenses, and at that point, it became a "contract" that has with it benefits and obligations. I was never asked when I got my license if I was a believer, because it was irrelevant. It was not a religious issue. I was married in church, so I added a covenant with God that was not required. My choice. Interestingly enough, I was basically agnostic at the time, so I don't even know why I did it that way.

I hear the term "redefining marriage" and in truth, it has been, but I don't necessarily see that as bad thing, at least as far as the government is concerned. Equality for all citizens required it.

I don't believe that anything in the SCOTUS decision changes the religious connotation. Churches that believe marriage is between a man and a woman will not be required to marry people of the same sex. If that pressure starts being exerted, the you-know-what SHOULD hit the fan. Separation of church and state and all...

I can see a scenario where some people may want to push that, and lawsuits may follow. I truly hope that will not be the case, because, again, IMHO, people should be able to choose who can be a member of their church and who can't. And people who do not believe in what that church believes in should not be pushing to be a part of it.

My point in posting this is not to convert anyone to my way of thinking, but to throw out there another POV for your consideration. 

It is a subject that will be prayed and thought about a lot, and my hope is that we can, as a country, get *past it and on to the pressing business of making sure that the American Dream is working for all citizens.

*edited to reflect Oxy's catch on my poor use of "passed"!