Bauer: Americans Support Religious Liberty, Oppose Activist Judges

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Feb 24, 2015, 02:00 ET

WASHINGTON, Feb. 24, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Former presidential candidate Gary Bauer, president of American Values, and Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, along with a coalition of pro-family organizations, released key results today from a national poll regarding the public's support for normal marriage. "In spite of the left-wing narrative that the public embraces a redefinition of marriage, our poll finds just the opposite," Bauer said. "In fact, Americans are concerned about judicial activism and the potential consequences for religious liberty."

Bauer noted three key findings:

Fifty-three percent of those surveyed agreed with the statement: "I believe marriage should be defined ONLY as a union between one man and one woman." Forty-three percent disagreed.
Sixty-one percent agreed that "States and citizens should remain free to uphold marriage as the union of a man and a woman and the Supreme Court shouldn't force all 50 states to redefine marriage." Thirty-two percent disagreed.
Eighty-one percent agreed with the statement "Government should leave people free to follow their beliefs about marriage as they live their daily lives at work and in the way they run their businesses." Twelve percent disagreed.

"Americans are concerned about the dangers to religious liberty and freedom of belief as more individuals -- photographers, florists, bakers -- discover that liberal intolerance is threatening their livelihoods," Bauer said.

"As the Supreme Court prepares to take up cases regarding the people's right to define marriage, the justices should respect the limits of their power. Americans do not want another Roe v. Wade-like ruling from unelected judges that assaults their values and forces the left's morality on every state in the union. Such a ruling will only enflame America's culture war over the values we will pass on to our children and who gets to decide those values," Bauer added.

Gary L. Bauer served in the Reagan Administration, as under secretary of education and as President Reagan's chief domestic policy advisor. He ran in the 2000 Republican presidential primaries. The Guardian called Bauer "one of the leading campaigners in the U.S. on pro-life and pro-traditional family issues." Learn more at www.ouramericanvalues.org. Follow @GaryLBauer

MEDIA ADVISORY FOR TELEVISION/WEB REPORTERS: Broadcast access for Gary Bauer can be arranged through his VideoLink ReadyCam studio. ReadyCam transmits video and audio via a fiber optics system to your newsroom. To schedule a live or taped interview, call 571-244-6324.

SOURCE American Values