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Lawmakers who disagree with the Supreme Courts same sex marriage ruling want to make sure churches don’t have to compromise their faith to perform same sex marriages. As Matt Galka tells us, religious supporters went to Tallahassee today to support their cause.

More than one hundred pastors and religious freedom supporters made their faith known outside of Florida’s Capitol Tuesday.

The We Stand With God Rally focused on supporting the Pastor Protection Act.  Central Florida pastor Dexter Sanders said society needed people of faith to come together.

“It’s time for us to stand up and fight against same sex marriage and abortion and government intrusion that have been tearing the country apart for many years,” he said.

The Florida House debated the bill that protects pastors from litigation for refusing to marry same sex couples while the rally was going on.  Senator Aaron Bean (R-Jacksonville) sponsors the legislation in the Senate.

“We spent a long time debating this bill and making it just right to make this bill a shield, not a sword, but a shield for pastors and religious churches to make sure they have that religious freedom in our state,” said Sen. Bean.

Opponents admit it will probably pass the Florida House, but they say it’s not needed.

Representative David Richardson (D-Miami Beach) says pastors can refuse to marry whoever they want already.

“We don’t have even one example of anyone filing a lawsuit or even suggesting that they would do that. Same sex couples want to get married by someone who supports their union,” he said.

The bill’s House sponsor said he started crafting the bill before the U.S. Supreme Court made gay marriage legal across the country.

The Pastor Protection act is expected to pass the Florida House Wednesday.