Not sure I agree with all the conclusions, but this article from The Christian Century provides a lucid overview of potential conflicts between religious liberty and same-sex marriage, and how a reasonable balance might be struck. I do agree that treating people with religious objections to SSM as bigots pure and simple misses the mark; even though I think they’re wrong, many of these folks are moved by sincerely held religious beliefs, not animus against gay and lesbian people. The analogies to racial discrimination have some force, but I think they break down at this point, at least in many cases. Plus, there’s a limit to how much a free society can expect to extirpate attitudes the majority (if that) considers to be wrong.

On the other hand, I do worry about enshrining into law a protected zone for discrimination. Assuming, perhaps optimistically, that attitudes toward gay and lesbian people continue to shift as radically in the coming years as they have been, do we really want embedded in law the right to discriminate against gay couples, even under carefully circumscribed circumstances? I guess it all comes down to the particulars. I’d be interested in hearing what actual GLBT folks think about these kinds of religious liberty provisions–after all, it’s easier for me say they’re OK since they’re not going to directly affect my marriage.