Religious Freedom at RISK? Church Leaders Weigh in!

Religious Leaders React to Respect for Marriage Act

When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, Justice Clarence Thomas indicated he believed the justices should reevaluate other rulings, including Obergefell v. Hodges. The 2015 SCOTUS ruling allowed same-sex couples to marry. A bipartisan group of lawmakers has now taken steps to codify marriage equality, but not everyone is happy about it.

Earlier this year, the House of Representatives passed the Respect for Marriage Act. The bill went over to the Senate, but lawmakers didn’t have the votes to pass it. After the midterms, the upper chamber took up the legislation again. On November 16, 12 Republican senators joined Democrats and voted 62 to 37 to advance the legislation, setting it on the path to becoming law.

62-37: The U.S. Senate advances the Respect for Marriage Act, which would codify federal recognition of same-sex and interracial marriages.

12 Republicans voted with all Democrats. pic.twitter.com/ac51BF1MXE

— The Recount (@therecount) November 16, 2022

Some religious leaders were furious over the Senate’s actions. New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan penned an essay slamming the decision. He said traditional values are being “increasingly marginalized and dismissed in the face of Congress’s endorsement” of the same-sex marriage bill. Franklin Graham called the legislation the “Destruction of Marriage Act.”

Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council said the bill “tramples on a foundational right.” He accused the Senate of “making a mockery of marriage.”

How do you feel about Congress trying to protect marriage equality?