OTHER RIGHTS AT STAKE?: Joshua Jasper replies to Anthony R. Picarello, Jr.

The fears of churches being forced to perform same-sex marriages that Anthony R. Picarello, Jr. seeks to play on are simply untrue. Churches can perform whatever marriages they want. If a church wants to restrict marriages to existing between churchgoers only, it's within its rights to do that today, even though the law prohibits discrimination in terms of benefits based on who you're married to if you're heterosexual.

Canadian and European laws about hate speech are nonexistent in the US. If we had them here, they long would have been used against antisemitic or racist hate speech that's perfectly legal in the US.

Mr. Picarello states, "It is, of course, exceedingly unlikely that local governments could ever force religious ministers to perform same-sex marriages. It is likely, however, that government could force a choice: Either agree (like all others who hold state authority to solemnize marriages legally) to perform gay marriages, or relinquish that authority." 

But why would this be the case if they aren't stripped of their rights for refusing to marry nonbelievers?  A Justice of the Peace is a public servant. He'd have had his license granting status removed if he had objections to marrying mixed race or mixed religion couples of the opposite sex.

As for removing state tax funding to groups that discriminate, he may have a valid fear there.  We'd remove state funding from a group that refused to grant benefits to Jews or blacks, so why not from one that refused to grant benefits from someone who happens to be gay?

posted by Eve at 6:21 PM | Link |

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