Civil unions and "same-sex marriage" are the same thing. The difference? Only the name.

HB 444 of the Hawai'i State Legislature makes this fact clear. It states that ALL the benefits, rights, responsibilities and processes attached to marriage be attached to civil unions, including the rights and responsibilities associated with children and parenting. For an "opposite-sex couple" it's called a marriage, and for a "same-sex couple" it's called a civil union. So far. But stay tuned.

The people of Hawai'i made their position on marriage clear in 1998, when almost 70 percent affirmed the power of the Legislature to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman. The Hawai'i State Supreme Court was set to force "same-sex marriage" on our community as a constitutional right, and to invalidate thousands of years of human experience and wisdom, lived in hundreds of cultures and nations, by redefining marriage. In the face of such absurdity, which portrayed itself as "cultural enlightenment," the people shouted, "No."

Advocates for civil unions say the issue is about equality. But our Legislature has already granted "reciprocal beneficiaries" status to those who desire it. Under this law, two people unable to marry, such as a mother and daughter, or two partners of the same sex, are granted rights and benefits that should be accessible to all people (i.e. equality), such as the easy transfer of property and hospital visitation rights. It de-sexualized the issue and made for true equality. It might be appropriate to revisit the law and adjust it, if necessary.

A same-sex relationship can never be the equal of a marriage. In the realm of mathematics a "3" and a "9" are "equal" in the fact that both are real numbers. But 3=9 is simply not true. So while every human being is equal to every other human being, no matter what the person's gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or citizenship, all relationships are not equal.

Human societies, for millennia, have determined that the unique relationship called marriage deserves special status and benefits. The classical anthropological concepts of sexual difference, complementarity and the intrinsic capacity for procreation underpin society's respect and need for this special relationship. Sexual difference DOES matter.

Marriage is not just about the two individuals, but about our community and its future. Civil unions undermine the connection between procreation and marriage. Children are not commodities. We have a responsibility to assure a firm foundation for raising children, and this is best done in the context of a loving father and mother in the committed relationship that gave them life. While we certainly can and must help those in less than ideal situations, civil unions ignore society's need to provide the most stable environment for its children.

There are other concerns about civil unions. Will parents be forced to expose their children to values they find morally or religiously repugnant? Will religious institutions lose their freedom to live out what they believe about marriage and human sexuality? Will other minority groups, such as polygamists, insist on "equality" as well?

No matter what our viewpoints may be, I pray that we might proceed with great care and respect for one another. We are all brothers and sisters, and always shall be.

Reach Larry Silva at (Unknown address).

The Most Rev. Larry Silva is bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu. He wrote this commentary for The Advertiser.