The Supreme Court of the United States’ ruling on gay marriage was nothing short of historic. The 5–4 vote essentially secured the right to marry for gay, lesbian and other non-heterosexual couples across all 50 states in a move that some expected but were still blown away by.

For a movement that only recently found its momentum, it’s still hard to process that such a major victory was won.

And make no mistake — this was a victory. The precedent it sets for the equal treatment of LGBTQ individuals in cases from adoption to employment to safety is immense, due in part to the fact that the ruling opinion was so cut and dry. There is no misinterpreting this one.

“The judgment of the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is reversed. It is so ordered.”

The response for gay marriage supporters was one of tumultuous joy, and even that seems an understatement. Buildings were lit in many colors, people filled the streets, and it was all over a landmark decision that improved the lives of many people who, until now, were told even by their government that they were less than, somehow undeserving of the same love and rights afforded to everyone else.

It’s hard to believe that something that could cause so much joy could be a bad thing. Indeed, after the ruling was announced, you could find news of nothing else in your social media feeds. Tears were shed, both by those who could finally finalize their union, and by those who had supported them the whole way.

But it didn’t take long for the cries of despair, and then defiance, to rise up. At first it was just moans of disgust, the usual lamenting of the loss of America’s values and some of the expected fear mongering and slippery sloping.

Then came the brazen contempt of the ruling, primarily from GOP presidential candidates. For example, Mike Huckabee, who said that now is the time to fight back.

“The Supreme Court has spoken with a very divided voice on something only the Supreme Being can do-redefine marriage. I will not acquiesce to an imperial court any more than our Founders acquiesced to an imperial British monarch. We must resist and reject judicial tyranny, not retreat.”

Never one to resist throwing in his rarely desired opinion in a growing hyperbole contest, Bobby Jindal added:

“The Supreme Court is completely out of control, making laws on their own, and has become a public opinion poll instead of a judicial body. If we want to save some money lets just get rid of the court.”

There were many others, but suffice it to say, the outrage was palpable. It’s still hard to process how angry people can get when confronted with the notion that rights may be extended to others.

Why is this such a bad thing for religious Americans? Apart from the myth that religious liberties are somehow being trampled upon by not letting people discriminate anymore, there’s a deity-inspired danger as well. Louie Gohmert explains:

“Founders and leaders including George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, John Kennedy, Ronald Reagan and most all of the Presidents have noted that it is God who has been the source of this nation’s unfathomable blessings. But if Moses, Jesus, and contributors to the Bible were correct, God’s hand of protection will be withdrawn as future actions from external and internal forces will soon make clear. I will do all I can to prevent such harm, but I am gravely fearful that the stage has now been set.”

But of course, this means we’re inevitably in for a discussion about religious liberty and the boogeyman of “assault on faith” in America. Loosely translated, the reaction to this imaginary assault amounts to nothing more than a childish tantrum en masse as those used to being in control are confronted with the harsh reality that they can no longer dictate the personal lives of their fellow countrymen through fear and faith (but I repeat myself).

In the midst of the joy came begrudging acceptance from many religious Americans who nevertheless protested that gay marriage supporters were being cruel winners. Relishing in victory does not have to involve talking down to people of faith, they say, as this is the same treatment gay marriage advocates have long despised.

But this reaction is understandable, if not necessary. Those in the LGBTQ community have for this country’s entire history been told that they do not deserve the same rights as their fellow Americans. They have been abused physically and verbally, been told they are sick, frightened by tales of eternal hellfire, disowned by their friends and families, forced to watch their loved ones die from afar and had this bigotry supported by the government of the country they live in.

With this ruling, it must be stated unabashedly and unequivocally that equality is the norm and the pursuit we will all face until our goals have been reached. If our scorn for the powers that no longer hold us down make you uncomfortable, then frankly, you will need to find a way to deal with it.

And though some may claim that this was not SCOTUS’ decision to make, Marbury v Madison disagrees.

“It is emphatically the province and duty of the Judicial Department [the judicial branch] to say what the law is. Those who apply the rule to particular cases must, of necessity, expound and interpret that rule. If two laws conflict with each other, the Courts must decide on the operation of each.”

The law has been interpreted, and the ruling was provided thusly.

Those of faith need not worry; SCOTUS was kind enough to leave out any mandate for heterosexual people to engage in homosexual marriages or for churches to perform ceremonies. If you’re a religious person in this country who believes that same-sex marriage is wrong, nothing has changed for you — unless, of course, your days consisted of trying to keep rights away from your fellow citizens. In that case, that has changed, and the scope and power of your bigotry has been somewhat limited.

Today’s joy will soon become motivation and momentum, because the fight for equality is far from over. So it must be established here and now that while there is no effort to destroy religious liberty or religious rights in any fashion, there will be no further acquiescence to religious law in our country when it comes to the pursuit of equality. This is not a country founded on religious principles, and so long as people try to use their faith-based principles to deny liberty to others, they must expect that they will be denied. We have seen this to be true in our past to combat sexism and racism, and so again we see it now.

Faith may still exist, and it can coexist with the equality we need, but it will not and cannot get in the way. Faith has its place, but that place is not the obstacle on the road to liberty.

Photo source: Wally Gobetz/Flickr