My Take: Will gay rights infringe on religious liberty?

Editor’s note: Marc D. Stern is the general counsel of the American Jewish Committee and a contributor to the book, “Same-Sex Marriage and Religious Liberty.”

By Marc D. Stern, Special to CNN

(CNN) – It was inevitable that the debate over same-sex marriage would have a strong religious component. This is partly because it involves such questions as the interpretation of biblical passages that, on their face, condemn homosexuality as a sin. But it also involves squaring the authority of ancient texts with modern theological understanding and developments in biology. And of course, the importance of love and human autonomy as religious values should be considered.

Those issues surfaced in the various briefs filed in the Supreme Court, some of which are written as if the court must inevitably choose one religious point of view as the winner and the other as the loser. This is a false choice. The Court can make all winners, or at least avoid allowing one side to suppress the other’s deepest beliefs.

The U.S. Supreme Court has not been asked — nor could it possibly answer — the question of what God or the Bible thinks about same-sex marriage. Religious groups are divided on that question, some supporting and others opposing same-sex marriage. And even if the religious viewpoint were clear, it should play no direct role in deciding whether the Constitution requires the states or the federal government to recognize same-sex marriage. Our government should not act to further one or another religious view of contested moral issues.

via CNN Belief Blog http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/03/25/my-take-will-gay-rights-infringe-on-religious-liberty/