Your argument crumbles the second you realize marriage is not exclusively a religious institution

If it were, atheists, interfaith couples, and people getting married at the courthouse wouldn’t exist. Yet, shockingly, they do.

The government doesn’t hand out sacraments, it hands out marriage licenses. You don’t have to pray to the IRS before filing joint taxes, and last I checked, nobody is reciting the Book of Genesis before getting spousal health insurance. Marriage, as recognized by the state, is a legal contract, not a religious ritual. If your church doesn’t want to perform same-sex marriages, fine...they don’t have to. But that doesn’t mean the entire legal system should cater to that belief.

And let’s talk about the "civil union" excuse. Separate but equal has been tried before, and it wasn’t very equal. Civil unions were often denied federal recognition, meaning couples didn’t get the same tax benefits, immigration rights, or survivor benefits as legally married couples. That’s why “just take the civil union” is not a valid argument. It was never about “preserving tradition,” it was about denying LGBTQ+ people the full rights they deserve.

And the biggest irony? The only people trying to force anyone into anything are the ones insisting that their religion should dictate everyone else’s marriage rights. Nobody is dragging pastors into court for refusing to officiate same-sex weddings. Nobody is forcing churches to do anything. If a same-sex couple gets turned away, they move on and find someone who isn’t stuck in the 1700s.

So no, same-sex couples don’t have to “settle” for second-class recognition just to appease people who misunderstand how religious freedom actually works. If you don’t want a gay marriage—good news! You don’t have to have one. But that freedom of choice works both ways.