JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The right-wing Missouri Alliance for Freedom released a poll Tuesday showing that Missourians support the religious beliefs of clergy after the Obergefell decision which legalized gay marriage in the United States.
The survey conducted by the Remington Research Group found nearly 80 percent of respondents believe the government should have no right to force priests or pastors to perform same-sex marriages if it goes against their religious beliefs. It also found the same contingent thinks churches, mosques and synagogues should not be forced to host same-sex weddings, and 71 percent believe private businesses should not have to provide their services for such a wedding.
Since the Obergefell ruling, conservative groups have feared changes would occur in the private sector after the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that gay couples have the right to wed, a right guaranteed by the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses in the 14th Amendment. They have often cited the 1st Amendment’s “freedom of religion” clause as a reason to continue to deny services for same-sex marriages and weddings.
“The results of this public opinion survey are clear and irrefutable,” President of the Missouri Alliance for Freedom Ryan Johnson said. “Missourians believe the rights of pastors and priests should not be infringed and religious property should be defended.
“There is little doubt that those who wish to impose a culture of conformity on the American public, regardless of a person’s religious beliefs, will attempt to exploit the recent Supreme Court decision as an opportunity to force their views upon others who do not believe as they do.”
The survey comes as a county clerk in Kentucky sits in jail for refusing to issue all marriage licenses “on God’s authority” even though as a public employee, she has no legal grounding to do so.
The poll was much more mixed in that regard. Only fifty percent of people answered “No” to the question, “In your opinion, should elected officials such as county Recorders of Deeds or Judges be forced to issue same-sex marriage licenses if doing so contradicts his/her deeply held religious beliefs and is violation of his/her conscience?” Forty-three percent of respondents answered “Yes,” and the rest were undecided.
