In the news|June 25, 2012 02:12 EDT
Calif. Senate Bill Looks to Protect Clergy From Forced Same-Sex Marriages
A new bill being pushed by the California State Senate looks to alleviate the fears of supporters of Proposition 8, the 2008 measure that sought to ban same-sex marriage in the state, by trying to ensure that members of the clergy will not be forced to marry homosexual couples.
Senate Bill 1140, proposed by Sen. Mark Leno, (D-San Francisco), will specifically look to protect churches' nonprofit status if clergy members refuse to perform gay marriages.
"Whether or not one believes that all Californians should have equal marriage rights or should be treated equally under the law, I think we can all agree that protecting religious freedom is important," Leno has said, The Sacramento Bee reported.
Although the bill clarifies and reinstates rights already protected by the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment, it also states that marriage is a civil contract, not a religious one, and should not interfere with church beliefs and policies.
