Marc's question about the judge

The discussion sparked by Marc's question about a judge who on moral grounds declines to perform same-sex "marriages" is interesting and instructive. I gather from it that those who support redefining marriage to include same-sex partnerships are now prepared to state publicly that, once marriage is redefined, those Catholics, Evangelical Protestants, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Latter-Day Saints, Orthodox Jews, Muslims, and others who cannot, in conscience, participate in ceremonies to unite partners in homosexual relationships should be excluded from certain offices and opportunities, including judgeships.  They no longer claim, if they ever did, that redefining marriage will not affect the lives, liberties, and opportunities of those of their fellow citizens who reject, on religious and moral grounds, their understanding of marriage and sexual morality.

I further gather, then, that everyone would consider it fair game for this fact to be shared with the citizens of North Carolina, Minnesota, and other states that are considering whether to enshrine in their state constitutions, as many states already have done, the conjugal conception of marriage as the union of husband and wife.  So, for example, an ad would be regarded as completely truthful if it said:

Do not believe anyone who tells you that the redefinition of marriage is purely a libertarian issue that will have no impact on those who hold traditional beliefs about marriage and sexual morality.  Many supporters of same-sex marriage themselves now admit that redefining marriage as they propose would in some cases affect the lives and limit the liberties and opportunities of those Christians, Jews, Muslims and others who reject same-sex sexual partnerships on moral and religious grounds. For example, they say that a Christian, Jew, or Muslim (or anyone else) who cannot in conscience perform a same-sex marriage should not be eligible to serve as a judge, or, if such a person does serve as a judge, he or she should not be permitted to officiate at marriages at all if he or she will not officiate at same-sex ceremonies.  In fact, if you believe what the Catholic Church, Evangelical Christianity, Eastern Orthodoxy, the Mormon faith, Orthodox Judaism, and Islam all teach about same-sex sexual relations, those who want to redefine marriage regard you as a bigot.  They think that your belief in marriage as uniquely the union of husband and wife is equivalent to opposing interracial marriages. If they have their way, and marriage is redefined, you and those who share your views will be treated the way we treat racists. We don't put such people in jail for holding or expressing their opinions, but there are certain offices from which we exclude them and certain opportunities we deny them.  Are you a devout Catholic, for example, who would like to be a judge?  Sorry. Your belief in your Church's teaching makes you unfit to serve. "No Catholics need apply."  That's something worth keeping in mind when you go to the polls on November 6th.