The New Jersey state legislature is certainly more courageous than their truculent governor Christopher Christie, in bringing forward a marriage equality bill
favored by only 52% of the population (Christie wants to submit it to popular referendum, apparently so nobody can say he had anything to do with it), but why do they have to call it the "Marriage Equality and Religious Exemption Act"? Because
the exemption, apparently, is as important to our civil rights as the bill itself:
The bill includes a religious exemption stating that no member of the clergy of any religion authorized to solemnize marriage and no religious society, institution or organization in this state shall be required to solemnize any marriage in violation of the free exercise of religion guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
It also includes another religious exemption stating that no religious society, institution or organization in this state serving a particular faith or denomination shall be compelled to provide space, services, advantages, goods or privileges related to the solemnization, celebration or promotion of marriage if such solemnization, celebration or promotion of marriage is in violation of the beliefs of such religious society, institution or organization.
Can't you just see the horror of life without these protections? Leather-clad Chad and Todd grabbing some helpless Baptist minister by the elbows, grinning sadistically, while a police officer mutters, eyes downcast, "Sorry Reverend, you have to do it—it's the law."
