All they have to do is register their “civil union” (called that whether it’s a religious marriage or simply a civil contract) with the government to get those benefits. Part of the issue is that “marriage” is a loaded term, that has dual meanings (both religious and civil). One needs to divorce the definitions from each other to solve the emotional issue (pardon the pun).

Because of increased regulations stemming from corporate interests and the welfare state, the state now has economic interests that tie into its police powers in regard to marriage in general. For example, if a married couple files joint taxes, how is the state to know they’re legitimately married without tracking a marriage license? The way things are set up in terms of regulation nowadays, untracked, common law, or unregulated civil contracted marriages are no longer viable in the economic scheme.