I haven't said that I think the government should say marriage means what Christians say it means. I've merely said that it is frustrating when the concept is defined differently by the government than what the church has defined it as. But in this country, the people rule (not the church), ans so marraige means what the people of the country say it means, not the church.

Just as a point of reference, here in Holland the state doesn't even recognize the church part of marriage. To get married, you *have* to do a civil marriage (typically at the town hall), and then, if you want to, you can also have a religious ceremony of whatever form - but only the civil part counts in the eye of the law.

On the other hand, if you explicitly don't want to or can get married, not even civil, you have the option of making a "living together agreement", agreeing the rights to common property etc - this can even be an arrangement between siblings who happen to be living together.