| Aielyn said:
Why have them register at all? Because there are legal benefits associated with what is currently called "marriage". There are also other laws that are associated with it, such as the ones involving taxes for couples. Of course, that then leads to, as I said, the requirement of certain conditions and limitations in order to prevent a relationship of convenience... or at least, to provide downsides to the choice, to ensure that people don't do it just for those benefits. |
Do you think the tax benefits are just? What valid reason is there for giving a tax break to married couples, versus unmarried?
Conservatives often argue that the tax benefits are good because they promote the institution of marriage... but they don't. How many couples get or stay married because of the tax benefits? And, if that number is substantial, is that really keeping in with the traditional view of marriage? For a tax break. Always seemed like an odd argument.
However, based on your quick defence of liberals in the other thread, I'd wager that you probably don't buy the Conservative arguments for tax breaks, anyway. Under your proposal, you're already throwing out many of the traditional customs of marriage, why not throw out these tax breaks/laws, too?
