Churches Take Steps to Protect Marriage

Churches nationwide are taking steps to protect pastors and churches. By changing their bylaws, leaders hope to fend off any attempts to use church facilities for same-sex marriages. They also want to protect pastors from being forced to perform the ceremonies.

CitizenLink Marriage Analyst Jeff Johnston said the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, as well as past actions of homosexual activists, will force churches to take a stand for marriage as a union between one woman and one man.

“Churches have already come under fire,” he said. “A court decided that a church-owned facility in New Jersey violated a non-discrimination ordinance for refusing to host a same-sex ceremony. The group also lost some of its tax-exempt status – for holding to biblical faith. ”

The high court struck down part of the federal marriage law last month. The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was signed into law by President Clinton in 1996. Without Section 3 of the law, the government will not be able to define marriage for its own policies and federal law; it must accept whatever states decide about same-sex marriage.

Faith-based leaders say it’s only a matter of time before activist groups file lawsuits against churches.