"What we're talking about here is the freedom of religious belief, the freedom of a church, for example, to adhere to its own religious doctrine so that it cannot be discriminated against by the government," the Utah Republican said in an interview with Newsmax.On the other hand, we have seen social and political conservatives trying to outright ban willing chaplains from having the option of officiating at the weddings of same-sex couples. We have had clergy defrocked for officiating at the same-sex weddings of friends and family members. We have had clergy defrocked for simply attending same-sex weddings.
Lee said the federal government's failure to protect religious liberty — citing Obamacare mandates for contraceptives and abortion-inducing drugs — was a key motivation for him to introduce the "Marriage and Religious Freedom Act," which protects clergy from being punished if they refuse to perform gay marriages.
"This is something that the overwhelming majority of Americans would support and the overwhelming majority of Americans would be disappointed if they discovered Congress would be unwilling to pass something like this," Lee said.
But this bill is needed because of some nonexistent threat that gays will force Catholic priests to marry them.
The "Marriage and Religious Freedom Act" has the support of groups such as the National Organization for Marriage, Heritage Action, Concerned Woman for America, and the Family Research Council.