[Daruhuw]

Beloved in Christ Evan,

I'm not a priest (only a monk) so you don't have to ask for me to bless anything.

Your point is valid, but limited. The state's definition of marriage only impacts on Christian theology if one is under the impression that one is in a Christian country. Canada, the United States, Australia, Great Britain, etc., are NOT Christian countries. They may have been at one time, but they are no longer so.

In many Muslim countries, for example, a man may marry many wives. These are completely legal. However, in no way, shape, or form, are they Christian marriages. Nor are they necessarily legal in other countries. When a Muslim man with multiple wives comes to Canada, either temporarily or immigrates, the practice is that the first wife is considered the "legal" wife, with the others considered to be "girlfriends". That way, a country like Canada, that has laws against bigamy, can effectively turn a blind eye to a blatantly illegal practice.

Now, don't get me wrong! I'm not saying bigamy, or homosexual marriages are alright. Nor am I saying that we shouldn't voice our beliefs. I'm just saying that "Caesar" not understanding, or agreeing with us, is not that unusual, and we shouldn't get really bent out of shape over it.

Of course, I understand that the state, a.k.a. "Caesar", legalizing homosexual marriages can influence people who don't understand how the separation of Church and State works, but that can be countered fairly easily by education.

Now, if we could just ensure that the average Canadian, American, Briton, etc. were fairly intelligent and well educated...