Jan 21, 2010 by Bruce
Prop 8 trial shocker: “Religion is the chief obstacle…”
“…for gays’ and lesbians’ political progress.”
So testified Professor Gary Segura of Stanford University as an expert witness for the anti-Prop 8 plaintiffs on Wednesday.
Chilling. The implications for people of faith are unmistakable.
Andy Pugno, the General Counsel for ProtectMarriage.com, has more on Wednesday’s developments. The Catholic League weighs in as well. Bill Duncan calls it “religious bigotry.”
Should people of faith be prohibited from participating in public policy, the creation of our laws? Is every law that expresses morality consistent with some religion automatically unconstitutional? That seems to be what the plaintiffs in Perry are after. That’s a bridge too far even for Judge Walker, I suspect.
I like this statement about faith and public policy made by a well-known politician:
“Secularists are wrong when they ask believers to leave their religion at the door before entering into the public square. Frederick Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, Williams Jennings Bryant, Dorothy Day, Martin Luther King – indeed, the majority of great reformers in American history – were not only motivated by faith, but repeatedly used religious language to argue for their cause. So to say that men and women should not inject their ‘personal morality’ into public policy debates is a practical absurdity. Our law is by definition a codification of morality, much of it grounded in the Judeo-Christian tradition.”
(UPDATE: ADF tweets from the courtroom that Segura has backed away from his “religion is the obstacle” statement. He’s now saying that it’s okay for religious groups to participate in the democratic process. Gee, thanks)
