Why the Christian right couldn’t stop the same-sex marriage bill

Yet despite having been crafted specifically to address their concerns, this new language failed to satisfy top Christian right leaders, who persisted in portraying the legislation as a near existential threat. The Heritage Foundation claimed that the bill was poised to put "a giant target on the back of individuals, nonprofit organizations, adoption agencies, schools, and businesses that hold fast to the truth about marriage," … 

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, one of the bill's co-sponsors, rebutted these false claims in a floor speech last week. She read the bill's language that "diverse beliefs about the role of gender in marriage are held by reasonable and sincere people based on decent and honorable religious or philosophical premises." This recognition that "such people and their diverse beliefs are due proper respect," she noted, "directly rebuts the claim that the bill can be construed to establish a public policy against people of faith. It does precisely the opposite." As to opponents' claims that the bill "could still somehow be used to deprive religious organizations of their tax-exempt status," Collins said, "This is simply false."

https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/christian-right-couldnt-stop-sex-marriage-bill-rcna59182