Ah, but the religious will face one, too. They are quite happy to have the government legislate in favor of traditional marriage: tax law, insurance law, etc..
Many of the religious -- supporters of the Constitution to a one, no doubt -- may find they don't care much for a truly dispassionate federal government.
I have said for years that the reason I am married is because I made a commitment before God in a church.
If the state mailed me a document saying they had nullified my marriage, it would not matter one iota to me.
To say the religious face a dilemma is potentially true. DOMA had a logic which was to prevent unconstitutional state actions from becoming reciprocal.
Government modifications of marriage are clearly a violation of the establishment clause and yet I cannot think of one opinion leader who has suggested this.
Gay marriage as given my courts and legislatures is a civil rights violation. Where is even one advocate explaining this obvious fact?
It really matters rather little that the government decided after the fact to jump on board with civil marriages. What is the church to do?
sue the state? Send out the church army?
When people choose civil marriages I always wonder what they would do if the state mailed them a notice saying— its been nullified.
The state continually messes with religion and neither libertarians or liberals seem to mind much. They both share a pretty firm alliance in this respect that annoys me greatly.