Conservatives Are Clinging On To Religious Exemptions To Fight Same-Sex Marriage

[cbayer]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/14/gay-marriage-religion_n_5983756.html

AP | By RACHEL ZOLL
Posted: 10/14/2014 12:30 pm EDT Updated: 11 minutes ago


Members and supporters of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) community walk with a rainbow flag during a rally in Kolkata on July 13, 2014. Hundreds of LGBT activists particpated in the rally to demand equal social and human rights for their community and stop social discrimination. AFP PHOTO/ Dibyangshu Sarkar (Photo credit should read DIBYANGSHU SARKAR/AFP/Getty Images) | DIBYANGSHU SARKAR via Getty Images

Alarmed by the broad expansion of same-sex marriage set in motion by the U.S. Supreme Court, religious conservatives are moving their fight to state legislatures — seeking exemptions that would allow some groups, companies and people with religious objections to refuse benefits or service for gay spouses.

But winning sweeping carve-outs for faith-affiliated adoption agencies or individual wedding vendors will be an uphill battle. Public attitudes against exceptions have hardened, and efforts by faith groups in states where courts, not lawmakers, recognized same-sex unions have had little success.

"When the judiciary does it they don't do the kind of balancing that legislatures tend to do," said Tim Schultz, president of the 1st Amendment Partnership, which has organized legislative caucuses focused on religious liberty in 20 states.

Every state legislative debate over gay marriage has addressed the question of whether religious objectors could be exempt in any way from recognizing same-sex unions. But in states where same-sex marriage became law through the courts, only one, Connecticut, followed up by enacting significant new exemptions. Massachusetts, Iowa and New Jersey have provided no opt-outs for gay marriage opponents.

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[DetlefK]

1. Easy solution:

LGBTs found the "Church of HOMO". The core-belief of this religion is that any two consenting adults are allowed to marry. Not allowing these believers to marry would violate their religious rights. (Apparently religious rights trump everything now.)

[cbayer]

2. Disagree. The solution is to actively work against any attempts to

grant religious exemptions for this clear cut civil rights issue.

Religious rights do not trump everything and playing their game is highly likely to backfire, imo.

[trotsky]

3. That's an interesting stance you've taken.

Previously you have stated that you are opposed to forced genital mutilation EXCEPT when chosen by parents "for religious reasons."

I consider it a human, civil right to be free from involuntary, unnecessary surgery to modify or remove part of their genitals. So there's at least one case where you support a religious exemption for a rights issue, and think that religious rights trump someone else's rights.

[okasha]

4. You do realize that "homo" is a slur, right?