Marriage is a Religious institution, not a governmental one

http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/d6j67/i_dont_believe_in_marriage_and_my_girlfriend/

Interesting conversation going on in reddit right now.  Boyfriend is not religious and neither is the girlfriend.  As such, he sees no reason to get married since he feels insulted that he needs the government to certify the love he has for his girlfriend.  However, girlfriend wants to go through with the civil marriage.

I agree with him.  If you don't hold any religious beliefs, what is the point of a marriage?  And why don't institutions such as the Catholic church speak out against a secular institution such as the state governments stealing from them an institution that they believe is sacred?  By default does the Catholic church agree that what happens in a courthouse between two non-believers is the same contract as what happens in front of the altar between two believers?  If not, then why do we use the same word... "marriage."  Clearly they are two distinct things.

I propose new laws that eliminate civil marriage and all the tax incentives that go along with it.  Civil marriage is destroying the religious concept of marriage and has cheapened what religious institutions believe it represents.  It's time to end it once and for all.

If two individuals want to live together, share bank accounts and deeds to a house, they should be able to enter into a legal agreement that defines the terms by which the two parties operate and live.  If two individuals do not believe in God, but have a strong love for each other, then I'm sure that a secular market will emerge which helps to ceremonialize the feelings the two have for each other while leaving God out of the picture.