Catholics defend religious freedom following U.S. Supreme Court’s marriage ruling

By Alison Lesley --
03 Jul 2015 --

Brides at Wedding — Bart Vis is licensed under CC BY 2.0

The Supreme Court’s decision could pose huge obstacles to the free exercise of religion and conscience across the United States.

U.S. Catholics defend the freedom of religion in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s recent same-sex marriage ruling. The church raises concerns about legal confusions and controversies in the future as well as social consequences for those who defend the “traditional understanding of marriage.”

According to the Catholic bishops, the Supreme Court’s decision could pose huge obstacles to the free exercise of religion and conscience across the United States, Catholic Say reports.

Where is the tolerance now? The Church Will Survive Gay Marriage if It Sticks to Its Guns #Catholics http://t.co/MjG2qHmhAZ via @NRO
— Christ'sDisciple (@MaranathaOJesus) June 30, 2015

Countless federal, state, and local laws and regulations will be affected, yet the majority opinion in the ruling doesn’t say anything about religious freedom protected by the First Amendment.

“This is extremely problematic,” Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore and chair of the U.S. bishops conference‘s religious liberty committee said, adding that while respecting conflicting beliefs, Catholics must defend the right to the free exercise of religion.

“We have a right to live our lives in accordance to the truth about marriage without violence, or being penalized, or losing our tax exemption, or losing our ability to serve the common good through our social services and through our education,” Lori said.

The Free Exercise Clause is the accompanying clause with the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. Together they read: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”