Two Supreme Court Justices Criticize Decision That Cleared The Way For Same-Sex Marriage

(KYMA/KECY) - Justice Clarence Thomas as well as Justice Samuel Alito, spoke-out on Monday against the 2015 decision that cleared the way for same-sex couples to get married.

The Justices were concerned with the religious liberty implications that this decision brings.

Justice Thomas wrote that the decision, Obergefell v. Hodges, "enables courts and governments to brand religious adherents who believe that marriage is between one man and one woman as bigots, making their religious liberty concerns that much easier to dismiss."

The strong opinion was expressed by Justice Thomas on the first day of the court's new term. The justices also believe that the decision should've been left to the political arena, and have long said that such a decision infringes the rights of those who religiously object to same-sex marriage.

Such a vocal opinion coming from the highest court in the nation has supporters of LGBTQ rights worried and fearful that the court will continue a trend of favoring religious conservatives from last term.

The case that drew the statement from the Justice dealt with Kim Davis, the former county clerk in Kentucky that refused to issue a marriage license out of objection to same-sex marriage.

The high court refused to hear an appeal in her case on Monday.