Religious Marriage in a Liberal State

The article examines whether religious marriage can be legally enforced in a liberal state. The author gives examples of the spectrum of religious versus civil marriage in other countries and discusses the problem of a religious monopoly over marriage. A clarification of what is meant by "religious" marriage is also given, in which the author discusses the importance of symbols and ceremony in granting weight to state-imposed legal acts. The egalitarianism of such religious marriage and questions it might raise about the autonomy of participants is commented upon.