After the historic victory in the Windsor case, gay state Rep. Brian Sims (left), D-Philadelphia, rose to speak about the decision to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act on the floor of the Pennsylvania House. He did so during a time when members are allowed to discuss any subject of importance. However, he was blocked by Republican Rep. Daryl Metcalfe who objected on the basis that any such comments would constitute a “rebellion against . . . God.”

Rep. Daryl Metcalfe explained his decision to object and block his colleague:

“I did not believe that as a member of that body that I should allow someone to make comments such as he was preparing to make that ultimately were just open rebellion against what the word of God has said, what God has said, and just open rebellion against God’s law.”

When two other Democratic legislators rose to speak in support of Sims, they were also blocked.

If this quote is accurate, Metcalfe has succeeded in combining the rejection of the separation of church and state with the denial of free speech. It is an impressive display of religious intolerance when one of his colleagues was trying to discuss a major ruling of constitutional law. It is, to use Metcalfe’s terminology, a rebellion against constitutional values.

Source: Newsworks