Stop the Lies About Gay Marriage and Religious Freedom
Oh my gosh! If we legalize gay marriage, does that mean the really homophobic Southern Baptist minister down the road will be forced to start performing weddings for same sex couples?
Of course not! Churches are private clubs. They can decline membership and marriage requests whenever they like. There are SO many churches and many ministers--Unitarians, Spiritual Humanists, many Episcopalians, and some Methodists--that WOULD perform same-sex weddings if the law allowed it. If gay marriage were legal across the country, gay couples would hardly have to twist the arm of that angry Baptist minister. Yet people who oppose gay marriage have lied to the public, pretending that conservative ministers would be required to perform weddings that violate the terms of their faith.
California's proposed SB 1140 reaffirms that no church will be required to go against its religious beliefs--even when gay marriage becomes a legal reality. Tell California lawmakers to pass this bill and stop people from lying about the ramifications of legal gay marriage!
We the undersigned ask that you pass SB 1140 and affirm the freedom of conservative churches to continue practicing their beliefs as they do now. We wish to make it clear that, in asking for the legalization of gay marriage, no one is asking that Southern Baptists do anything that does against their consciences. There are many ministers who would be happy to solemnize the union of a same-sex couple. No one need twist the arm of a minister who believes same-sex unions are wrong.
