SALT LAKE CITY -- Conservative groups that backed Utah’s Amendment 3 in 2004, vow to continue the fight to keep marriage only between a man and a woman.
For months both sides speculated on how the U.S. Supreme Court might decide the gay marriage issue, but very few expected the court to simply take a pass.
“It's a surprise, the Supreme Court didn't do its job,” said Gayle Ruzika president of the Eagle Forum. “Marriage is a state's right issue. It has nothing to do with the federal government.”
The Sutherland Institute, a conservative think tank, said it was a letdown to see the Supreme Court not weigh in on an issue as divisive as any facing the country today.
“We will have to get used to a new reality of what family means in Utah,” said Bill Duncan, Director of the Center and Society for Sutherland.
Other conservative groups aren't ready to concede just yet. The American Leadership Fund plans to pursue legislation that would protect religious freedoms for people who don't condone gay marriage.
“It's like the pro-life movement when Roe v. Wade was passed, everyone was like ‘it's done, it's over,’ but that was the resurgence of the response from the people,” said Cherilyn Eagar.
And still others think this could be resolved by the High Court if another case creates a conflict that would force the justices to resolve.
The Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Salt Lake City also released a statement regarding same-sex marriage.
It states:
We believe that this fundamental institution will gradually lose its meaning and cease to serve as the ideal relationship between a man and a woman. In our view, this would hurt both our Church and our society.
Leaders of the LDS Church also commented on same-sex marriage during this weekend’s General Conference.
“When our positions do not prevail we should accept unfavorable results graciously and practice civility with our adversaries,” said Dallin H Oaks, member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “We should be persons of good will to all rejecting persecution of any kind.”
