Sir, – It seems to me the debate surrounding the recognition of same-sex marriage is a waste of time and energy. Should the State not exit the marriage battlefield entirely, abandoning it to religious communities and interested social groupings?
The State is primarily concerned with the legal and civil rights aspects of marriage, and these could be met by two people of any sex signing a comprehensive legal agreement. What we now call “divorce” would become another, formal, legal construct resulting in the dissolution of the agreement that constituted the union. If people want a public wedding with or without a State-recognised legal agreement, let them go to a church or civil association that is prepared to perform some sort of ceremony, even if that entails forming a new body. This would leave organisations such as the Catholic Church free to prescribe or proscribe anything they like about marriage; couples could still have their day out, and the State need not introduce legislation for “marriage equality”. – Yours, etc,
KEVIN BUTLER,
Philipsburgh Avenue,
Fairview, Dublin 3.