Baptist, Jewish Groups Join As Plaintiffs In Challenge To North Carolina Same-Sex Marriage Ban

The United Church of Christ announced today that two national religious bodies and a number of individual clergy have joined as plaintiffs in its lawsuit that contends that North Carolina law makes it a criminal offense for a member of the clergy to conduct a same-sex marriage ceremony.  This, they argue, infringes the free exercise and expressive associational rights of clergy whose religious teachings and beliefs embrace same-sex marriage.  The national groups joining the lawsuit are the Alliance of Baptists and the Central Conference of American Rabbis.