Why Bother?

I've been wondering more and more lately why gay marriage is such an issue. Firstly, why would someone want to pay more in taxes by paying the marriage penalty tax. Yes I do know that they don't actually call it that. Secondly, given that 2 out of every 3 marriages end in divorce why would someone demand to be able to have someone legally take half their stuff and make them pay spousal support. Seems self destructive to me.

The other thing that makes me wonder about the issue is why would someone want to have the government decide the issue. Yes the courts are part of the government in case, like most politicians, you don't know that. When has the government ever done anything that did not benefit the politicians themselves.

Not to mention the fact that marriage is a religious institution. So since the courts have already set up this whole seperation of church and state principle the government has no business doing anything with or about marriage. Of course, seperation of church and state was only put into existence to limit religious freedoms so it probably wouldn't matter anyway. (More rant about that another time.)

Lastly, ever since Roe v. Wade the entire country has been divided over abortion and the Supreme Court is probably acutely aware that that is the court's fault. Now this issue has similar potential for such divisiveness which means that the court may not wish to make a ruling that would cause another split. However, I don't see how they could possibly avoid it.

The bottom line is why even bother? Why divide the country? Why risk losing the stuff you worked hard for to someone who probably never really loved you anyway? Why ask the government to rule on a religious issue? Why? Why? Why?

It might be easier to just create a goverment recognized civil union that carries with it all the alleged benefits of marriage. Naturally, it would also include all the inevitable drawbacks and problems of marriage too, but there is no way to avoid that.