FRC Opposes Supreme Court Decision in CLS v. Martinez

WASHINGTON, June 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, decided that religious liberty was less important than political correctness. In Christian Legal Society v. Martinez, the court ruled that if a university had an "all-comers" policy toward campus organizations, then any interested party can join any organization, regardless of the organization's stated beliefs or purpose. Even individuals opposed to an organization's goals can join that organization.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080930/FRCLOGO)

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080930/FRCLOGO)

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins released the following statement regarding the decision:

"The Supreme Court's decision today in Christian Legal Society v. Martinez says that at state schools a school-recognized Christian student organization, adhering to a traditional Christian perspective on sexuality, must allow homosexuals and anyone else who disagrees with them, even those who adhere to other religions, to be not only voting members but also leaders in the organization.

"This throws student organizational mission statements out the door, as everyone at a state school with an 'all-comers' policy, regardless of belief, can now join any organization, even if they oppose that organization's purpose and mission. Today's ruling renders student organizations effectively purposeless, and would allow, for example, Republicans and Democrats who wish to sabotage one another's college groups to join and undermine them from the inside out.

"More importantly, the Supreme Court handed down a decision that erodes religious freedom under the auspices of preventing discrimination against homosexuals. The Court majority essentially held that it is acceptable to discriminate against private religious organizations that disagree with them on whether homosexuality is a constitutional right, and against religious groups that want to organize in universities according to the dictates of their faith.

"The Supreme Court, by a 5-4 ruling, now says that no university can give its imprimatur to discriminatory organizations if that university has an 'all-comers' policy of requiring every group to accept every membership applicant. In this case, the Court is suggesting that orthodox Judeo-Christian teaching against homosexual conduct is untenable on America's university campuses. This is a grave breach of both freedom of religious speech and freedom of association, and a troubling day for America's long history of protection from religious discrimination.

"This decision came on the same day that Senate hearings on Elena Kagan's Supreme Court nomination began. It is just another reason why the United States needs justices who will uphold the Constitution and not undermine its guaranteed religious liberty to push a social agenda."

SOURCE Family Research Council