Indiana Republican Gov. Mike Pence, facing widespread pressure from "gay" activists and business owners, signed a clarification of the much-discussed Religious Freedom Restoration Act, but his revision is being slammed for going too far in the opposite direction.

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On the Fox New show "Fox & Friends" Friday morning, the conclusion was Pence gutted the law. The sentiment was echoed by Family Research Council President Tony Perkins who, in the lead-up to Pence's revision, sent out an email blast to supporters warning of the changes.

Perkins' email: "Big Business is pressuring Indiana to take the silver over religious freedom. The 'fix' being forced through by legislative leaders actually guts Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and empowers the government to impose punishing fines on people for following their beliefs about marriage."

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Perkins also warned the new proposal would actually "force religious businesses and even nonprofits deemed 'not religious enough' to participate in wedding ceremonies contrary to their owners' beliefs," he wrote. "If the government punished people for living their faith, there are no limits to what government can control."

Various businesses, from Walmart to Apple to Salesforce, threatened to leave Indiana or take other actions that would impact the states' overall revenues if Pence and lawmakers didn't abandon the law.

Pence, a talked-about candidate for the White House in 2016, then said he would go back to the legislature and request a clarified version.

He said, during the signing of the revision: "There will be some who think this legislation goes too far and some who think it does not go far enough, but as governor I must always put the interest of our state first and ask myself every day, 'What is best for Indiana?'"

But as WND previously reported, many are upset with the new changes and urged lawmakers to band together and veto them.