Texas judge: God prevents me from marrying gays
“Because of my faith in God as a devout Catholic I will be only be [sic] conducting traditional marriages.”
–Dallas County Justice of the Peace Bill Metzger, writing on his Facebook page. Metzger announced that he will not be conducting marriages between same-sex couples, stating that “it is not true for someone to say they are required by law to conduct a non-traditional wedding,” as justices have the “religious freedom to refuse.”
Metzger cited Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s legal opinion over the issue, which said that “Justices of the peace retain religious freedoms, and may claim that the government cannot force them to conduct same-sex wedding ceremonies over their religious objections.”
“It is clear that any Justice of the Peace in Texas can refuse to perform a non-traditional wedding when that wedding can be performed by others,” Metzger added.
“Of course people could go somewhere else to get their marriage license but they shouldn’t have to do that,” Cede Cox, of Resource Center in Dallas, told WFAA. “If he chooses not to marry a gay couple, he’ll be in violation of the law.”
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