April 28, 2015
Supporters of traditional marriage and same-sex marriage gather in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington April 28. The high court began hearing arguments in cases involving four states that bar same-sex marriage. (CNS photo/Tyler Orsburn)
WASHINGTON (CNS) — The questions raised by Supreme Court justices as they considered April 28 whether they should rule that same-sex marriage should be made legal nationwide covered a gamut of rights concerns — religious, equal protection, states’ ability to enact their own laws.
In two and a half hours of oral arguments, the line of questions and the answers by attorneys representing both sides made clear that all concerned recognize the potential for the court’s ruling to be history-making.
Even the justices who sounded inclined to allow states to continue to ban same-sex marriage and refuse to recognize such marriages from other states seemed to recognize that it is no longer a question of “if” but “when” and “who decides” that same-sex marriages are allowed.