What I don't really understand is why you're so up in arms about the secular definition of marriage. So what if the gays call their civil union "marriage"? The church can keep its own definition.
Thing is what you really don't want is for the gays to have equal legal rights. That's the only thing that makes sense.
This is a major issue that is tearing the nation apart, causing citizens to be jailed for their beliefs or for not obeying the law, based on your stance/view of the issue. I am not completely up in arms about the secular definition of marriage, but if you think THAT is not at the very heart of this issue as well you are mistaken.
Gays can call their unions 'marriage', but as you see, don't expect some Christians to want to have any part of it. To them marriage is a ceremony where the couple asks God to bless their union, and since the Bible calls homosexuality an 'abomination' they see such a ceremony as 'blasphemous'.
Yeah, SYMANTICS are THAT important...just ask Bill Clinton about his definition of the word 'IS' and Barry about HIS definition of the word 'DEAL' (vs Treaty)!