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GOP proposes protections for clergy on gay marriage
Proposal would make clear right of refusal for ministers
W 1218David Ralston
Georgia House Speaker David Ralston - photo by Special
ATLANTA — A top-ranking Republican leader wants to make clear that Georgia clergy can refuse to perform gay marriages, a protection they already enjoy under the U.S. Constitution. The proposal from House Speaker David Ralston, a Republican lawyer from Blue Ridge, would amount to more of a political statement than a legal change. The wording he proposed would make clear that the government cannot force a clergy member to solemnize any marriage in violation of the clergy person's religious beliefs.
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