This article is part two in a five part series examining the debate surrounding gay marriage.

Religious organizations continue to play a powerful role in shaping Wisconsin public opinion regarding gay marriage as they push state legislators to adopt a constitutional amendment banning same sex unions.

The Family Research Institute of Wisconsin, which describes itself as rooted in Judeo-Christian morality and principles, has made itself one of the most active religious organizations in the statewide debate over gay marriage.

Julaine Appling, the executive director, said she opposes gay marriage because of her religious beliefs.

“We believe that God ordained marriage to be between one man and one woman and that was the limit,” she said, adding gay unions are detrimental to society. “I don’t think [same-sex marriage] is in the best interest of society. If you open it to same-sex marriage, where do you stop?”

Professor Charles Cohen, director of religious studies at the University of Wisconsin, said because Wisconsin residents tend to take religion seriously, their views on gay marriage are often shaped by religious doctrine.

“For many people, the notion that homosexuality and lesbianism are sinful is sufficient cause to ban gay marriage,” he said.

Appling agrees, although she believes that Christian doctrine condemns homosexuality, not gay people.

“Our religious beliefs would oppose homosexual behavior, it is not opposing homosexuals,” she said.

But Chris Ott, executive director of Action Wisconsin, a gay rights advocacy group, characterized religious groups actively opposing gay marriage as “hate groups.”

“They are entitled to their own opinion, but they are not entitled to write a religious definition of marriage into law,” he said.

Ott said an important distinction should be made between religiously sanctioned marriage and civil marriage.

“Although marriage has a lot of religious traditions, legally it is a contract from the state and that is what we think everyone should have access to,” he said.

Ott also added there is not a unified opinion on gay marriage in the religious community and a number of religious leaders are willing to go on record publicly supporting same-sex marriage.

Even though his church currently has no policy condoning same-sex unions, Brent Christianson, a Madison Pastor for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, supports marriage equality and opposes legislation to ban gay marriage, labeling it, “[A] mean-spirited, wholly unnecessary piece of legislation.”

Laurie Zimmerman, an openly gay rabbi at the Reconstructionist Jewish temple in Madison, actively supports marriage for same-sex couples. She has pledged to continue to perform religious weddings for same-sex couples even if legislators deny marriage licenses.

Despite these church leaders, the bulk of Christian groups are vocal on condemning homosexuality and are expected to continue lobbying heavily for the constitutional amendment banning gay marriage to pass.

“We are going to do everything we could possibly do to influence the legislation and educate the people,” Appling said. “The opposition is going to get more aggressive and the rhetoric is going to be more intense as we move into the second round.”

According to Cohen, religion will continue to play a large role in the Wisconsin gay marriage debate.

“I think that currently in American politics and American culture, religious identification has become very important,” Cohen said.