The last paragraph of the article tells the whole story. They feel it is their right to punish people that disagree with them. I fear that many arrests for homophobia will follow, assets seized, lawsuits filed, churches closed and seized by the Feds. Here is the last paragraph:
This month, in anticipation of the marriage ruling, Senator Mike Lee, Republican of Utah, and Representative Raul Labrador, Republican of Idaho, introduced the First Amendment Defense Act, which would push federal law far beyond the existing religious protections. Sure to be strongly opposed by civil rights groups and most Democrats, the bill would prohibit federal officials from penalizing individuals, businesses, charities or schools for actions based on a conviction that marriage is between a man and a woman.
No. Americans don’t go hat in hand and ask for our rights to be granted like favors from the government. This bill, by its existence, would acknowledge that government has the authority to punish for thought crimes or religious beliefs. It would just carve out an exemption. It’s wrong.