The California Supreme Court decides that a state antidiscrimination law trumps the religious freedom rights of doctors.SAN FRANCISCO -- -- Doctors may not discriminate against gays and lesbians in medical treatment, even if the procedures being sought conflict with physicians' religious beliefs, the California Supreme Court decided today.
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In the second, major gay-rights victory this year, the state high court said religious physicians must obey a state law that bars businesses from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation.
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Read the rest here.
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And before the anti-marriage equality folks start cranking up their red-herring machine to try to "spin" this one as "the next thing you know they'll be making clergy marry gay couples!!!" remember:
1 - On May 15, 2008, the California Supreme Court struck down discrimination re: Civil Marriage. Period.
2 - Freedom of religion quarantees that no clergy person can be compelled to act against their conscience in the exercise of their pastoral duties.
3 - There are other places where California civil law regarding marriage differs from the canon law in some traditions. For example, California has had no fault divorce since 1970 and lawyers have not been lining up to sue Roman Catholic priests who won't remarry divorced couples. Neither will they be lining up to sue those clergy whose theology precludes their presiding at the marriage of a gay or lesbian couple.
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