Not sure that any government should be in the "m-a-r-r-i-a-g-e" business, it carries too much baggage with it. Meanwhile we should be reforming, adding and supporting many and various useful "family" or "communal" living arrangements. This includes "single-moms" banding together for support and task/expense-sharing, orphans, foster-children, foster-elders, communal group homes, homless-shelters; etc.. Our wasteful massive single-family homes are untenable for our projected high-energy-cost future.

While experiencing divorce, I searched our state laws. "Love" and "affection" are not mentioned anywhere, (except on Humane-Society auto-license-plates). Judging by the divorce process, "marriage" is about nothing but property -- splitting the sheets (and perhaps custody, if there are kids) -- that's all.

Were "marriage" really justified as a socially useful institution for procreation (more cannon-fodder for the state?), to be subsidized; then why pray tell, do we issue marriage-permits to 50-year-old Seniors?

Let the Churches or any other Social Support-Groups handle "Marriage" as a ritual relationship -- while having various governments subsidize living relationships where public or individual "benefits" and "rights" are involved.