gay marriage and religious liberty

One of the things I've heard countless times about gay marriage is that it is about getting the state to recognize such unions as equal, but that churches can decide for themselves whether or not they'll celebrate gay marriages.

Well, look at what happened in New Hampshire (from Reuters):

"A bill that would have made New Hampshire the sixth state in the United States to authorize gay marriage stalled unexpectedly Wednesday over concessions to religious groups opposed to such unions.

"The state's House of Representatives objected to language in the bill that would have allowed religious groups to decline to participate in same-sex marriage ceremonies or to offer gay couples other services."

Got that? It didn't pass because it would have allowed religious groups NOT to participate in gay marriage ceremonies. So here's your coalition: "A handful of gay-rights proponents sided with Republicans in the Democratic-controlled House to vote down the bill 188-186."

Yep, the gay activists sided with the gay marriage opponents, because it wasn't enough to get gay marriage and leave it up to churches to decide whether or not they'd participate. They'd rather not have gay marriage if it meant that the churches have religious freedom.

Consider what this means: A church would be forced by law to marry gays and lesbians, and if it refused, the power of the state would be brought down upon it.

Some recent cases (from the NPR web page):

Adoption services: Catholic Charities in Massachusetts refused to place children with same-sex couples as required by Massachusetts law. After a legislative struggle — during which the Senate president said he could not support a bill "condoning discrimination" — Catholic Charities pulled out of the adoption business in 2006.

Housing: In New York City, Yeshiva University's Albert Einstein College of Medicine, a school under Orthodox Jewish auspices, banned same-sex couples from its married dormitory. New York does not recognize same-sex marriage, but in 2001, the state's highest court ruled Yeshiva violated New York City's ban on sexual orientation discrimination. Yeshiva now allows all couples in the dorm.

Medical services: A Christian gynecologist at North Coast Women's Care Medical Group in Vista, Calif., refused to give his patient in vitro fertilization treatment because she is in a lesbian relationship, and he claimed that doing so would violate his religious beliefs. (The doctor referred the patient to his partner, who agreed to do the treatment.) The woman sued under the state's civil rights act. The California Supreme Court heard oral arguments in May 2008, and legal experts believe that the woman's right to medical treatment will trump the doctor's religious beliefs. One justice suggested that the doctors take up a different line of business.

Wedding services: A same sex couple in Albuquerque asked a photographer, Elaine Huguenin, to shoot their commitment ceremony. The photographer declined, saying her Christian beliefs prevented her from sanctioning same-sex unions. The couple sued, and the New Mexico Human Rights Commission found the photographer guilty of discrimination. It ordered her to pay the lesbian couple's legal fees ($6,600). The photographer is appealing.

Wedding facilities: Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association of New Jersey, a Methodist organization, refused to rent its boardwalk pavilion to a lesbian couple for their civil union ceremony. The couple filed a complaint with the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights. The division ruled that the boardwalk property was open for public use, therefore the Methodist group could not discriminate against gay couples using it. In the interim, the state's Department of Environmental Protection revoked a portion of the association's tax benefits.

... the conscientious objector? In cases of war, Quakers have been accomodated becasue of religous belief.


Note to the ADMIN, the reason I could not post a new post the other day is, that new posts must fall in the range of 10 to 256 characters.

I noticed your new post exceeds that. Does the giant hand set the limits on various forum members?

Oh Giant Hand, I beseech you.....

Connecticut and Vermont passed conscience protection for religious organizations in their same-sex marriage laws. I don't believe it includes private businesses but I could be wrong. We'll see how these exemptions hold up.

was that on the Reuters story web page, gay activists were saying that businesses didn't need protections because gay people wouldn't want to do business with people who didn't want their business, while on the NPR web page, gays were suing businesses who didn't want their business.

It's so deceitful to claim that protections aren't needed because gays will respect the consciences of others.

It's the main reason why I opposed gay marriage in California, because I don't believe for a moment that religion will not be on the chopping block next. The two terms,civil unions and marriage, mustbe separated now into their respective realms, or New Hampshire will be just the beginning.