Indiana GOP Launches Attack on LGBT-Friendly Churches
The longstanding conservative prophecy has come to pass: the government has begun passing laws that restricts religious liberty by saying what churches can and cannot do. We’ve been hearing the warnings for years from the right side of the aisle and the worst case scenario - one where the government steps over the church/state line to tell churches what they can and cannot do within the confines of their religious beliefs - has come to pass. Where is this and why isn’t it being widely reported, you may be asking yourself. It’s all happening in Indiana, and it’s actually happening because of conservatives (believe it or not).
John Aravosis at AmericaBlog reported yesterday that the state of Indiana just criminalized the religious solemnization of marriage by clergy members. According to Aravosis, “The amendment to the criminal code, which will go into effect on July 1, 2014, makes it a misdemeanor, punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a fine of $1,000 for clergy “solemnize” a marriage of two men or two women.”
And to add insult to injury, the new criminal code specifically separates the actual legal act of filing for a marriage license from religious ceremony.