(CNN) - Responding to Wednesday's Supreme Court ruling giving historic wins to same sex marriage supporters, President Barack Obama released the following statement:
"I applaud the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act. This was discrimination enshrined in law. It treated loving, committed gay and lesbian couples as a separate and lesser class of people. The Supreme Court has righted that wrong, and our country is better off for it. We are a people who declared that we are all created equal – and the love we commit to one another must be equal as well.This ruling is a victory for couples who have long fought for equal treatment under the law; for children whose parents’ marriages will now be recognized, rightly, as legitimate; for families that, at long last, will get the respect and protection they deserve; and for friends and supporters who have wanted nothing more than to see their loved ones treated fairly and have worked hard to persuade their nation to change for the better.
So we welcome today’s decision, and I’ve directed the Attorney General to work with other members of my Cabinet to review all relevant federal statutes to ensure this decision, including its implications for Federal benefits and obligations, is implemented swiftly and smoothly.
On an issue as sensitive as this, knowing that Americans hold a wide range of views based on deeply held beliefs, maintaining our nation’s commitment to religious freedom is also vital. How religious institutions define and consecrate marriage has always been up to those institutions. Nothing about this decision – which applies only to civil marriages – changes that.
The laws of our land are catching up to the fundamental truth that millions of Americans hold in our hearts: when all Americans are treated as equal, no matter who they are or whom they love, we are all more free."
Our government will have to answer to God for this. Marriage is between a man a woman. Regardless of what is popular at the time. The word of God never change. Mr. President, you are not out of line with the right but out of line in regards to what Gods tells Christians.
"Cowboys and illegal aliens," and "Cowboys and gays."
^ Based on Brokeback mountain, Cowboy and gay is sometimes a redundancy.
CORRECTION: the word of God never change. Mr. President, you are NOT JUST out of line with the right, but out of line in regards to what Gods tells Christians.
God Please have mercy on this country..
Juxtapoz
California says: "OUTSTANDING !!! Now we have case law for polygamy."
...from the people who tried to elect a MORMON as President? That's funny.
"OR will liberals show their hatred and bigotry?"
So funny watching you cons call liberals hateful bigots, because you're mad that a bigoted law just got struck down. I swear hypocrisy has become a RELIGION for you cons lately. Having a brown man win the WH has REALLY twisted you guys up, it seems.
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LOL you call repubs bigots and make fun of Romney for being a Mormon in the same post, wow!!!! SUCH HYPOCRISY and yes you liberals are full of hate and bigotry through and through!!!! YOU are obliviously completely ignorant of the Mormon church which does not believe in polygamy and has not for well over a hundred years or so!!!! You should educate yourself before sounded like a 5 year old child (or at least a person with the education of a 5 year old child!)!
strangerq
"Cowboys and illegal aliens," and "Cowboys and gays."
^ Based on Brokeback mountain, Cowboy and gay is sometimes a redundancy.
Typical...always got to get your facts off some disgusting movie. One tweeked movie writer and you think cowboys are gay...grow up.
Oh and for the record I am 100% fine with this ruling, I could care less what 2 adults want to do together!!!
I hope and pray that God reads the comments section of CNN. Oh dear Lord, shine thine holy eye upon these words, and protect us from the evils contained within! I beg of you!
Actually @strangerq, the word of God has been changed, many times. How many different versions are there now? They change word in new editions to fit the current society. What gives Christians the right to judge people based on their sexuality? I always thought the bible said love thy neighbor? Why not just let God judge the 'sinners'? Why do Christians think they get to tell others what is right and wrong? Also remember, our country is not a Christian nation. While we may have some values based is Christianity, those same values are also found in other religions. Everyone has the God given right to follow their own path and no man shall infringe on that path. As a Christian myself, it truly hurts me to see my fellow brothers and sisters judge LGBT people like they are all evil. It also pains me to hear the argument from Christians that this will destroy the institution of marriage. Really? As if the divorce rate among Christians is something to brag about.....
@Bill in VA
Curious...you stated 'The court has righted a wrong. Agree.....Two days in a row.' Seeing how the protective measures of the Civil Rights Act of 1965 were 'struck' down by the high court; is this the other 'wrong' in your mind? If so, I'm curious as to how this is righting a wrong? How is removing the mantle of protection for so many that is afforded to all citizens through the Bill of Rights – liberty & justice for all. Everyone, of age, is afforded the liberty and right to vote without prejudice, without malice and without fear. I'm curious as to how you see this as a wrong. Voter suppression, having an aptitude test 'on-the-spot' in order to vote, questioning government issued identification documents, re-districting counties and municipalities in order to reduce the numbers of a particular region, providing faulty voter registration information, ninth-hour adjustments in voting stations, creating environments at voting stations to dissuade voters; all of this because of some two centuries (plus) of discord and often-times blind disregard for a fellow human being. Are you saying that having a national platform to address and maintain voting rights for all, is no longer needed; and the individual states can address it, for the good of all voting residents?? I trust you haven't tasted the sour grapes that the Chief Justice tasted in believing that there has been a monumental shift in race relations! So, I'm curious.
The Supreme Court has righted that wrong, and our country is better off for it. <~~Now if they could only right the wrong of little dictators in power. Also throw in the wrong of politicians being able to reject the health care they strapped on everyone else.
I am sure Obama's Reverend Wright, who married Barry and Michele, is beside himself and i bet secretly Obama is too.
I will never understand why all you religious nuts and biggots are so against this... If you are not gay, this has nothing to do with you, so leave it alone. I am a firm believer in God, and I believe that he doesn't care who you love, as long as you do it with all your heart. I support your statement, Mr. President. Freedom for all.
religion is so silly. how can people still be this gullible?
"LOL you call repubs bigots and make fun of Romney for being a Mormon in the same post, wow!!!! SUCH HYPOCRISY and yes you liberals are full of hate and bigotry through and through!!!! YOU are obliviously completely ignorant of the Mormon church which does not believe in polygamy and has not for well over a hundred years or so!!!! You should educate yourself before sounded like a 5 year old child (or at least a person with the education of a 5 year old child!)!"
you do realize they weren't making fun of him for being mormon, rather than pointing out the irony of the OP using polygamy in negative connotation, while it being a fact that mormons believe in polygamy.
reading comprehension, use it.
The opinion of 52% of people of CA has been disgraced.
Pray for the President's salvation. He is against what the Bible says and what our founding Fathers believed.
God help these ungody liberals that thn they can right wrongand create their own agenda because it feels good.
God loves people but hates the sin. Pray for America.
I'm sorry – is this the same Obama who stated he believes marriage is between a man and a woman – that would defend the defense of marriage act.
Oh – I forgot – he 'evolved' (vs. flip flopped to win an election).
Regardless of how you feel about the verdict of this case, there should be no argument about the slimy snake in the White House. Obama makes Nixon look like an innocent boy scout.
-Me
Juxtapoz
California says: "OUTSTANDING !!! Now we have case law for polygamy."
...from the people who tried to elect a MORMON as President? That's funny.
"OR will liberals show their hatred and bigotry?"
So funny watching you cons call liberals hateful bigots, because you're mad that a bigoted law just got struck down. I swear hypocrisy has become a RELIGION for you cons lately. Having a brown man win the WH has REALLY twisted you guys up, it seems.
_______________
LOL you call repubs bigots and make fun of Romney for being a Mormon in the same post, wow!!!! SUCH HYPOCRISY and yes you liberals are full of hate and bigotry through and through!!!! YOU are obliviously completely ignorant of the Mormon church which does not believe in polygamy and has not for well over a hundred years or so!!!! You should educate yourself before sounded like a 5 year old child (or at least a person with the education of a 5 year old child!)!
*************
Wish all due respect, the LDS Church stopped supporting polygamy because dropping it was a condition for statehood: howver, there is nothing to stop a man from being sealed to more than one woman IF his first wife died and he remarried. So, in essence, they do continue to support polygamy, if only in their version of the hereafter. That is the response of an educated person, not a child ranting about supposed liberal hypocrisy while putting their own on full display. The LDS Church has a very nuanced position when it comes to dealing with their history, which includes the Mountain Meadows Massacre, their other paranoid responses to outsiders and their desire to establish a seperate Mormon nation called " Deseret". This is a church that has either tried to establish itself as a seperate nation, or try to run the nation from within by assuming positons of prominance in politics, law, law enforcement, and business. Bugsy Seigal got his legal funding from Mormon bankers in Phoenix: does that sound like people who are trying to live a righteous life, or people who want to make a buck on anything that moves across their field of vision? Ask youself the hard questions before you attack someone for not presenting the facts you want them to.
No religion has the right to impose their dogma on anyone. No one is forcing churches to have Gay marriages. Yest there are churches who perform Gay marriage: Unitarians for example and Reform Jews perform Gay marriage. Marriage is a civil union and now Gay marriages is recognized in the states that have it. Gays who are married now will now get federal benefits. So funny that these Christian Right who are mostly protestant talk about marriage as a sacrament. Only Catholics feel marriage is a sacrament. Protestants say there are only two sacraments. No Gay marriage affects any straight marriage. Just get over it. The nation will probably now have Gay marriage in 5 years once some of the conservatives like Scalia and Thomas step down. Gay marriage has worked very well in Lutheran Sweden and Catholic Spain. Now Brazil and mexico have Gay marriage plus Canada to our north. Don't like gay marriage go to Saudi Arabia and Sharia law.
I am going to stop going to church .It is not worthy.
You cannot define humanity by laws, votes and papers. The human race's life is based on the real fact of the existence of the two genders. Without this double line, it will be extinguished. Period.
Sad Day in American History.
What is sown will be reaped. What is against God's command will be reaped heavily by this country. God have mercy on the faithful and true who stand true to your word. For the rest who are celebrating including Obama, you will answer God's wrath. In front of God all are equal and we will all be judged not according to the ways we create new laws but according to the laws already established. I pray that more people will turn back.
Believer
God Please have mercy on this country..
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I believe that is precisiely what just happened.
The Liar in Chief was morally and intellectually against gay marriage just 18 months ago. What a creep this guy is.talking about discrimination as the only reason for being in favor of marriage between a man and a woman.