Bill Donohue: DOMA Ruling Signals Religious Liberty Is 'Under Attack'

By David A. Patten
Catholic League president Bill Donohue told Newsmax on Wednesday the Supreme Court's rulings in favor of gay marriage indicate that a deliberate attack is now underway against religious liberty in America.

Donohue also called for passage of a constitutional amendment to define the nature of marriage as between a man and a woman.

"On the part of some people — not all — but on the part of some of the people driving the day's agenda, there is malicious intent, and that is to punish people of faith," Donohue said. "And that's where we have to show resistance."

The two Supreme Court rulings cleared the way for gay marriage in California while striking down as unconstitutional the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which blocked giving federal benefits to same-sex couples.

Catholic leaders and other social conservatives spoke out against the rulings Wednesday.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, called the decision "a profound injustice." He said it was "a tragic day for marriage and our nation."

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, in his dissenting opinion in the DOMA case, slammed the majority opinion, saying it effectively declared supporters of traditional values "enemies of the human race."

Donohue agreed.

"Justice Scalia is not only correct, if anything he underestimates [the effect] because it's already happened," Donohue said. "It's happened in the schools. … It's being taught that if you resist the idea that marriage should extend to people of the same sex that you have a problem, that you're bigoted. So it's a total inversion of traditional morality."

Donohue called on conservatives to "put the brakes on the gay lobby." He said that requires "a uniform policy throughout all 50 states." A constitutional amendment is the best way to achieve that, said Donohue.

In the larger context, which has seen President Barack Obama's administration require faith-based organizations that have a conscientious objection to still provide contraception and morning-after pills, Donohue said it is clear that religious liberty in America is under assault.

"There is no question that it is under attack," he told Newsmax. "There are some people who want to break down the wall of separation of church altogether, and it's not coming from those who are religious."

Calling gay marriage "one of the more insane ideas in the whole history of the world," Donohue voiced concerns that the ruling would be used to try to intimidate defenders of traditional values, who would be charged with bigotry for voicing their opinions. "This is a very pernicious road to go down," he warned.

Donohue added that it won't be enough for social conservatives to merely protest the Supreme Court rulings.

"We don't need any more pronouncements," he said. "What we need is action. What we need are laws.

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"If they don't want to go the constitutional amendment approach, then they ought to come up with something else. They ought to come up with something quick," he said.



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