As most of my readers know, I am in favor of gay marriage. I see it no more and no less as simply treating consenting adults equally. Some of my conservative friends disagree strenuously with me. And, for a long time, at the ballot box, their view was winning.
Now, however, I wonder: have we reached a tipping point in American opinion?
Voters express strong support for the notion that the ability to marry the person you love is a fundamental freedom and Constitutional right for every American, including gays and lesbians. Three-quarters of voters (75%) believe that it is a Constitutional right, up from 71% in 2011. This sentiment spans across party lines, as 91% of Democrats, 75% of Independents, and 56% of Republican voters all believe the freedom to marry the person you love is a Constitutional right.
Again, marriage is a religious rite, and requiring pastors and priests to marry according to state law is an infringement of the First Amendment. After all, they can't perform legal divorces or adjudicate child custody petitions or divide property. Let religions marry whom they wish, and let the state be the arbiter of civil unions, which is the contract of the marriage license.
Posted by: J. Reed Anderson | Friday, February 22, 2013 at 09:37 AM
J. Reed - if you read my next post by Huntsman, this is exactly what he proposes. We need to preserve religious freedom and not force religious leaders to act against their beliefs. But - if someone wishes to marry and their church, etc. does not allow, then a secular individual (judge) can perform it.
I think we are on the same page here.
Posted by: Peg | Friday, February 22, 2013 at 09:51 AM
You are a very clever individual!
Posted by: different types of mason | Tuesday, February 26, 2013 at 03:52 PM