A religious-freedom measure on the Florida state ballot failed on Election Day.

Amendment 8, which was one of two state ballot questions supported by the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops, was defeated, with only 44% of voters in favor. The measure required 60% of people voting Yes in order to amend the Florida Constitution.

Supporters said Amendment 8 would have allowed faith-based organizations, such as Catholic Charities, to continue delivering social services without the threat of lawsuits because of a 19th-century law, rooted in anti-Catholic bias, which bans public funding for all religiously affiliated groups.

"Floridians deserve the opportunity to benefit from programs with a secular purpose run by religious entities," said Juan Zapata, president of Citizens for Religious Freedom and Non-Discrimination, which championed the amendment.

In addition, Maine, Maryland and Washington approved same-sex "marriage" and Minnesota rejected a constitutional amendment that would have defined marriage as of one man and one woman.

Catholic organizations such as hospitals, social-service agencies and disaster-relief services already partner with the Florida state government to provide services, but those efforts are constantly under legal scrutiny.

Michael Sheedy, associate director of health for the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops, said Catholic agencies will maintain their efforts despite the Election Day setback.

"Religious providers of vital social services to all members of the community will continue their partnerships with state and local governments under the shadow of potential challenge simply because they are religious," Sheedy said.

"Discrimination against some harms us all," Sheedy added.

Amendment 8 would have protected individuals or agencies, on the basis of religious identity or belief, from being denied government benefits, funds and support, except as required under the First Amendment.

The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops had urged residents to support Amendment 8 as a way to ensure that organizations and individuals had an equal and rightful place in the public square.

"If service providers can abide by requirements of a program, they should not be excluded simply because they are religious," the bishops said.

However, opponents, including teachers’ unions, argued that Amendment 8 would have blurred the boundary between church and state while serving to mobilize support for taxpayer-funded vouchers for private and parochial schools.

Opposition

The League of Women Voters of Florida opposed Amendment 8. The organization said it supported "adequate funding of public education with no use of public funding for the expansion or funding of private education through a voucher program."

Bishop Frank Dewane, head of the Diocese of Venice, Fla., wrote in a Nov. 2 column in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune that Amendment 8 was not about school vouchers, but instead about eliminating the state’s blatantly anti-Catholic Blaine Amendment, named after the 19th-century Congressman James Blaine, who sought to amend the U.S. Constitution to shut down Catholic schools.

While unsuccessful, Blaine — who was reportedly influenced by the anti-Catholic, anti-immigrant "Know Nothing" movement — had his language incorporated in 30 state amendments that ban public funds from being used to support what are defined as sectarian institutions.

"Under the Blaine Amendment, current Florida law prohibits religious organizations from receiving state funds, even if the funds are used for services such as food pantries, low-income housing for the elderly or assistance for mothers and their children," Bishop Dewane wrote.

"Denying state funds to faith-based groups on religious grounds is blatant discrimination and a violation of religious freedom," the bishop added.

The Florida bishops had also supported Amendment 6, which proposed to prohibit public funds from being used to pay for abortions or health benefits that include abortion coverage. Proponents said the measure — which failed — would have prevented the Florida Constitution from granting broader abortion rights than what is already granted under federal law.

A host of high-profile endorsers — including Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush — came out in favor of the amendments.

"These amendments promote life and liberty, and I am proud to support them, and I strongly encourage Floridians to vote in favor of each," Rubio said in the weeks leading up to the election.

"For decades, faith-based organizations have provided Floridians with access to high-quality public services, including medical care, housing, food, after-school programs and disaster relief. These are basic services that serve Floridians in a time of need," Bush said.

Same-Sex ‘Marriage’

Also touching upon the issue of religious freedom in the Nov. 6 elections were ballot measures in four states regarding same-sex "marriage."

Voters in Maine, Maryland and Washington moved to legalize same-sex "marriage," while a proposed amendment failed in Minnesota that would have defined marriage as the union of one man and one woman.

The Maryland measure, as worded, protects clergy from officiating at same-sex ceremonies and promises that religiously affiliated organizations do not have to provide goods and services related to same-sex weddings.

The Maryland Catholic Conference, which urged Marylanders to uphold traditional marriage, warned that residents "should not be fooled into thinking we can redefine marriage and still protect religious liberty."

Brian Fraga writes from

Fall River, Massachusetts.