I've a question on marriage.. isn't it a two step process?

1) You go to the town/city whatever and get a license -- this is what makes you legally married.

2) You go to the church and get "married" -- this is what makes you married in the eyes of God.

Am I close? Why can't gay-folk just do the legal part? Our legal system really is sperate from the religious one.. why not keep the term "married" for the religious system and create a new one for the legal one. People get "married" without a church all the time.. so we just need a new term for it and any two people of consenting age can give it a go. a CU (Civil Union works dandy)...

Gay-folk shouldn't be prevented from all the misery legal co-habitation brings.. not to mention higher taxes.