The Separation Of Church And State

Did an Indiana law go too far?

The legislature passed a bill which makes it a crime for a religious official to marry a same-sex couple. The law sates,

IC 31-11-11-7
Solemnization of marriage between persons prohibited from marrying
Sec. 7. A person who knowingly solemnizes a marriage of individuals who are prohibited from marrying by IC 31-11-1 commits a Class B misdemeanor.

What is different is that in all the other states religious officials can marry a same-sex couple but that marriage will not be recognized in states that ban marriage equality. In other words, there would be no civil marriage. This Indiana law bans even that, in effect is telling priest, minister, rabbis who they can or cannot married even if their religion allow same-sex marriage. The new law flies smack in the face of the First Amendment!

The AmericaBlog says,

A successful effort by the Indiana Republican party, which controls the state House and Senate, to legislate the permitted, and banned, practices of Jews, Lutherans, Episcopalians, and other mainstream faiths would appear to fly smack in the face of ongoing religious right efforts to brand the civil rights of gays as a threat to religion.  In fact, it is anti-gay bigots who are now threatening to throw mainstream clergy in jail for simply practicing their faith.

How many times have we heard the Republicans claim that the anti-discrimination laws prohibit freedom of religion and now the Republicans have passed a law that does just that; tell religious official who they can marry!