Oklahoma gets it rolling

[revmwc]

"OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Gov. Mary Fallin has signed into law a bill that allows ministers to refuse to perform same-sex marriages if such marriages conflict with their religious beliefs.

Fallin said Friday that the law will protect the constitutional and religious rights of Oklahomans.

The law says no licensed, ordained or authorized official of a religious organization can be required to solemnize or recognize a marriage that violates that official's conscience or religious belief.

Fallin said the bill makes it clear that religious leaders and houses of worship can't be forced by the government to violate their faith where marriage is concerned.

Troy Stevenson of Freedom Oklahoma, which advocates for gay and transgender rights in Oklahoma, has said he believes the bill is unnecessary but that he supports the spirit of the law."

 

[Zaac]

"OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Gov. Mary Fallin has signed into law a bill that allows ministers to refuse to perform same-sex marriages if such marriages conflict with their religious beliefs.

Fallin said Friday that the law will protect the constitutional and religious rights of Oklahomans.

The law says no licensed, ordained or authorized official of a religious organization can be required to solemnize or recognize a marriage that violates that official's conscience or religious belief.

Fallin said the bill makes it clear that religious leaders and houses of worship can't be forced by the government to violate their faith where marriage is concerned.

Troy Stevenson of Freedom Oklahoma, which advocates for gay and transgender rights in Oklahoma, has said he believes the bill is unnecessary but that he supports the spirit of the law."

I got to say. I agree with Troy. I don't need a law to tell me what I already know. You can't REQUIRE me to do anything I don't want to.

 

[JonC]

I got to say. I agree with Troy. I don't need a law to tell me what I already know. You can't REQUIRE me to do anything I don't want to.

You can be required to do things you don't want to do. They can't make you, but you may suffer consequences for failing to meet the requirement.

Sent from my Z830 using Tapatalk

 

[Salty]

The law says no licensed, ordained or authorized official of a religious organization can be required to solemnize or recognize a marriage that violates that official's conscience or religious belief.

Why only religious leaders, what about public officals (mayors, Chaplains, ect) Notary Public, ect.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Gov. Mary Fallin has signed into law a bill that allows ministers to refuse to perform same-sex marriages if such marriages conflict with their religious beliefs.

Fallin said Friday that the law will protect the constitutional and religious rights of Oklahomans..Fallin said the bill makes it clear that religious leaders and houses of worship can't be forced by the government to violate their faith where marriage is concerned."

Until the SCOTUS rules that is unconstitutional

 

[Don]

Why only religious leaders, what about public officals (mayors, Chaplains, ect) Notary Public, ect.

Because except for chaplains, those are secular functions, not religious.

What this bill doesn't protect against is the re-definition of "religion," or the potential of government to re-classify what religions are recognized. For example, identifying a percentage or even firm number of members for the government to recognize a denomonation as a religious entity before being able to grant tax-exempt or other privileges, would obliterate the recognition of independent fundamental baptists as religious organizations, since by their very nature they're independent and therefore couldn't obtain the membership numbers. Muslims and Catholics, on the other hand, are world-wide and would easily meet the classification. Most "organized" denominations (Presbyterian, Lutheran, even Mormon) would be able to meet the threshold.

It would force any church that would want to be recognized as a church to join with a larger group, and possibly be required to abide by the larger group's rules and requirements to sustain recognition as a "church."

Or, it could be something as simple as a "minor" rule change, that would disqualify many organizations as religious entities. After which, the protections afforded by such legislation as what Oklahoma has done, simply don't apply.

All just hypotheticals, of course....

 

[revmwc]

I got to say. I agree with Troy. I don't need a law to tell me what I already know. You can't REQUIRE me to do anything I don't want to.

But you can be sued and cost you the resources God has blessed you with just because the group decides to take it on. As well as taking the church to court too. Just like they have done to the bakery in Colorado.

 

[TadQueasy]

Does it really matter what an individual state does at this point?

 

[revmwc]

Does it really matter what an individual state does at this point?

Others will hopefully follow suit. Texas AG has issued statements to public officials that is they refuse to issue marriage license or to not officiate due to their religious beliefs the state is there to fight for them.

States can unite and pass these types of laws. We can go to it with the same claim the group used it infringes on our right to "dignity."

 

[Don]

Does it really matter what an individual state does at this point?

Yes, it does.