Last fall, the Center for Public Justice’s Institutional Religious Freedom Alliance, along with religious freedom advocates, worked with a small bipartisan group of Senators to add to the Respect for Marriage Act adopted by the House of Representatives a strong set of protections for people and organizations who are committed to the historic concept of marriage as a unity between one man and one woman. This dramatically amended bill was then passed by the Senate, accepted by the House, and signed into law by the President on December 13, 2022.
The strength of those religious freedom protections has been disputed both as the bill was moving through Congress and after its enactment. Continued analysis and discussion are important. Here are several resources:
- From IRFA and the Center for Public Justice, “What houses of worship, faith-based organizations, and people of faith need to know—and do—about the Respect for Marriage Act”
- Spanish version, “Lo Que Los Lugares De Culto, Las Organizaciones Religiosas Y Las Personas De Fe Deben Saber -Y Hacer- Sobre La Ley De Respeto Al Matrimonio”
- Supplemental filing in the Hunter v. U.S. Department of Education case challenging the conservative moral policies of various Christian colleges and universities. The supplemental document argued that the support by congressional Democrats and President Biden for the Respect for Marriage Act, with its series of religious freedom protections, demonstrated that government and the courts are not to treat conservative moral values as bigoted and disrespectful. See Emily Belz, “Federal Judge Tosses Challenge to Christian College Exemptions,” Christianity Today, January 13, 2023, which includes a link to the supplemental document.
