Respecting objections to same-sex 'marriage'

Associated Press - 6/18/2008 7:45:00 AMvar addthis_pub = 'onenewsnow';

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - California's county clerks are being urged to exempt employees who have religious objections to same-sex "marriage" from taking part in them. That appeal is in a letter signed by leaders of Advocates for Faith & Freedom and the Seventh-day Adventist Church State Council.

Council president Alan Reinach says some county workers in the Golden State believe it would be immoral to take part in same-sex marriages. "We have begun to hear from employees of the clerks' offices who have religious objections," he shares.
 
Those employees with religious objections to same-sex marriage should be exempted from taking part in them, Reinach argues. "If there is no such right to refuse to provide the service, then clearly the beliefs and consciences of same-sex couples are being preferred in the law to the traditional religious beliefs of millions of Californians," he says.

See earlier stories on the California situation 

 
The Seventh-day Adventist group spokesman says homosexual rights should not eliminate county employees' religious rights. "If the Supreme Court meant what it said about equality, then that would not be equality -- that would be discrimination against people of faith who hold more traditional religious beliefs," states Reinach.
 
The letter signed by the groups' leaders says forcing those with religious objections to participate in same-sex marriages would "send a message of official state hostility toward religion."