Let me explain this for people who think the fear religious people have that their religious freedoms will be infringed upon if gay marriage is legalized.
This fear is common when it comes to states who legalize gay marriage through the courts, like the situation with California and Prop 8. See, religious people don't believe that gay marriage is a right; no, they really don't. They're not just saying that because they're trying to contradict liberals...they honestly disagree with you. So when they see a court "find" (see: invent) the right to gay marriage, they believe that that judge or judges have effectively taken a side on this contentious cultural, political (see: non-judicial) issue, and they don't trust any legislature, governor, or judicial body who would oppose the will of the people to then protect the people's right to religious freedom.
I think that's part of the reason why the Yes on 8 side made people believe that their religious freedom would come under attack if Prop 8 passed. Because the people reasoned, "well shoot, if they're willing to overturn the votes of millions of people who voted for Prop 22, they're probably not that concerned about my religious freedoms, either." The right to vote is just as fundamental a right in a democracy as the supposed right to marry is, and you can't expect people to compromise one for the other.
And then, I'd also say, there's a way for people to get back at a church for not recognizing gay marriages without forcing them to do it: namely, their tax exempt status. See, this is actually contradictory to what they believe, but I think there are some in the gay community spiteful enough to use whatever argument they can get away with. The argument would go like this:
They could very easily make that argument and find people to accept it. Gay rights groups already tried that once when it came to the Boy Scouts not allowing scoutmasters to be gay. The Supreme Court found that the Boy Scouts have a right to associate with whomever they want, but that hasn't stopped them from challenging their tax-exempt status.
The point is, the gay marriage lobby is trying to tie "opposition to gay marriage" with "anti-gay discrimination" (since to them it's the same thing) and deal with it the same way. They want to punish everyone who opposes gay marriage in some way, and it doesn't matter if it's at the expense of people's other rights.
Like I said, they got Prop 22 overturned and that was enacted by the expressed will of the people. They tried to get Prop 8 overturned as a revision and not an amendment (a case you don't even hear about anymore), and then took it to federal court and the governor and AG didn't even defend it.
People see the legal jujitsu being used to legalize gay marriage at all costs. It should be no wonder why they don't trust these same people who are willing to undermine the votes of millions of people to respect their religious liberties.
This fear is common when it comes to states who legalize gay marriage through the courts, like the situation with California and Prop 8. See, religious people don't believe that gay marriage is a right; no, they really don't. They're not just saying that because they're trying to contradict liberals...they honestly disagree with you. So when they see a court "find" (see: invent) the right to gay marriage, they believe that that judge or judges have effectively taken a side on this contentious cultural, political (see: non-judicial) issue, and they don't trust any legislature, governor, or judicial body who would oppose the will of the people to then protect the people's right to religious freedom.
I think that's part of the reason why the Yes on 8 side made people believe that their religious freedom would come under attack if Prop 8 passed. Because the people reasoned, "well shoot, if they're willing to overturn the votes of millions of people who voted for Prop 22, they're probably not that concerned about my religious freedoms, either." The right to vote is just as fundamental a right in a democracy as the supposed right to marry is, and you can't expect people to compromise one for the other.
And then, I'd also say, there's a way for people to get back at a church for not recognizing gay marriages without forcing them to do it: namely, their tax exempt status. See, this is actually contradictory to what they believe, but I think there are some in the gay community spiteful enough to use whatever argument they can get away with. The argument would go like this:
They could very easily make that argument and find people to accept it. Gay rights groups already tried that once when it came to the Boy Scouts not allowing scoutmasters to be gay. The Supreme Court found that the Boy Scouts have a right to associate with whomever they want, but that hasn't stopped them from challenging their tax-exempt status.
The point is, the gay marriage lobby is trying to tie "opposition to gay marriage" with "anti-gay discrimination" (since to them it's the same thing) and deal with it the same way. They want to punish everyone who opposes gay marriage in some way, and it doesn't matter if it's at the expense of people's other rights.
Like I said, they got Prop 22 overturned and that was enacted by the expressed will of the people. They tried to get Prop 8 overturned as a revision and not an amendment (a case you don't even hear about anymore), and then took it to federal court and the governor and AG didn't even defend it.
People see the legal jujitsu being used to legalize gay marriage at all costs. It should be no wonder why they don't trust these same people who are willing to undermine the votes of millions of people to respect their religious liberties.
