During Tuesday’s oral arguments on the constitutionality of same-sex marriage, Justice Samuel Alito asked a critical question and received a startling response from Solicitor General Donald Verrilli, a representative for the plaintiffs. Justice Alito asked, “In the Bob Jones case, the Court held that a college was not entitled to tax-exempt status if it opposed interracial marriage or interracial dating. So would the same apply to a university or a college if it opposed same-sex marriage?” According to Verrilli, “It’s certainly going to be an issue. I don’t deny that. I don’t deny that, Justice Alito. It is — it is going to be an issue.”

“Translation: If churches, religious groups, schools, or nonprofits won’t surrender their beliefs on marriage, the government will make it hurt. A lot,” writes Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins, who adds, “Imagine what’s happening to Aaron and Melissa Klein (slapped with a $135,000 fine for their marriage views) occurring on a national scale through hijacked tax exemptions, Pell grants, loans, and other government contracts.” Add the IRS’s malfeasance into the mix and there’s even more reason to worry. “Is it really a stretch, given the IRS’s history of harassment and discrimination against conservatives, to think that it wouldn’t show a ‘smidgeon’ of prejudice?” asks Perkins. “This ruling would give the political operatives at one of the country’s most powerful agencies even more ammunition to punish opposition.” But that’s exactly what Democrats want. It’s not enough to disagree; the message — straight from the horse’s mouth, no less — is that Democrats want to punish institutions that won’t accept the radical redefinition of marriage. That’s what’s at stake in the Supreme Court.