Religion & Law

To the surprise of (I suspect) no one, a federal trial-court judge has struck down California's law affirming that legal marriage is limited to relationships between one man and one woman.  Here is the (very long) opinion.  Nutshell version:  the law serves no legitimate rational (let alone "compelling") state interest -- only "private moral view[s]" -- and so the burdens it imposes on the court's understanding of the constitutionally protected right-to-marry are unjustified. 

As was (I think) expected, much of the opinion's work is done through the court's findings-of-fact.  One of these (No. 77) might be of interest:  "Religious beliefs that gay and lesbian relationships are sinful or inferior to heterosexual relationships harm gays and lesbians."

Give the opinion a read, and let us know what you think . . .