In an interview with ABCNews' Robin Robert, President Obama expressed for the first time his belief that same-sex marriage should be legal. At the same time, White House talking points are emphasizing that church decisions regarding marriage would be unaffected.

We make it absolutely clear that we are talking about civil marriages and civil laws. This isn’t a federal issue. We must be respectful of religious liberty, that churches and other faith institutions are still going to be able to make determinations about what their sacraments are, what they recognize.

That same-sex marriage may become legal is not to say that it may become mandatory. Churches would be free as always to decide policies on whom to marry.