Churches 'Could be Sued for Refusing to Agree to Gay Marriages'

The Daily Telegraph (UK) ^ | 1/15/13 | Telegraph Reporters

[marshmallow]

The Prime Minister’s plans for gay marriage could leave churches facing legal action unless they agree to same-sex unions, it emerged today.

Legal advice reportedly sent to David Cameron warns that church could be sued under human rights legislation if they refuse to allow the services to proceed.

Exemption granted to the Church of England by the Coalition Bill to prevent it having to conduct gay marriages is “eminently challenge-able” in the European Court of Human Rights.

It also warns that the Government's insistence that protections put in place for other religious groups who don't want to marry homosexuals could be undermined by evolving European human rights law.

The warnings, written by Aidan O'Neill, a leading human rights lawyer at centre-left Matrix Chambers, argues that churches that refuse to marry homosexuals would be banned from using council facilities such as village halls.

Details of the legal advice are contained in a letter Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, to the Prime Minister, the Daily Mail reported.

[stuartcr]

It should go to court and then get this issue settled.

[Mich Patriot]

With headlines like this, “The Twilight Zone” could make a comeback. Our country is all but lost to libtard freaks.

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

Coming to America, even though those who defend "gay marriage", claim that is not their goal. I don't believe them, they are liars, just as surely as they're lying that there can be such a thing as "gay marriage". God defined marriage and God will not redefine it.

The line in the sand is forcing churches to comply.

[YukonGreen]

Gays should start their own church and denomination and then they are free to worship their god whoever that might be that goes along with their lifestyle and supports it. Have their own bishops, their own bylaws, their own mission outreach, their marriage, their funerals and whatever else they want their church to meet their desires.

[I want the USA back]

Will happen here. The plan is to bankrupt the churches.

[Sans-Culotte]

Gays should start their own church and denomination and then they are free to worship their god whoever that might be that goes along with their lifestyle and supports it. Have their own bishops, their own bylaws, their own mission outreach, their marriage, their funerals and whatever else they want their church to meet their desires.

They've always had that option. It's not about their freedom to worship as they choose. They crave acceptance so much that they want to force everybody else to validate them. As self-loathing narcissists, they will always be bothered by the notion that someone, somewhere does not approve of their lifestyle.

On the disgusting series The New Normal, one of the homos on the show likened your advice to being told to "sit at the back of the bus".

[UCANSEE2]

Does this apply to MUSLIM churches in ENGLAND as well ?

[UCANSEE2]

The plan is to bankrupt the churches.

The 'plan' is to force Christian churches to accept homosexuality, so that the MUSLIMS have another reason to kill Christians.

[Psalm 73]

"The line in the sand is forcing churches to comply."

My pastor was at a pastor's conference last fall - they were told to expect to go to jail in the near-future.
Paul had counted it as a joy to be imprisoned for the Gospel.

[jboot]

This is coming here and coming soon. If you don't think so, you are only fooling yourself. The question that we all need to be asking is "what will my church do when the lavender lawyers sue?"

I'm a Protestant, but my bet is that four out of five Protestant churches will roll over. And for the record, I don't intend to stay in a church that rolls on this issue.

[bigdaddy45]

So I assume you’re British?

[jboot]

they were told to expect to go to jail in the near-future

Old Roger has gotten much more canny since he tangled with Saint Paul. Few pastors are going to go to jail. But plenty of pastors and church employees are going to be stripped of their livelihoods, pensions and children's college funds, plenty of missionaries and hospitals are going to lose their financial support, plenty of grand old church buildings are going to be sold at auction and plenty of hopes, dreams and futures are going to be sacrificed on the altar of butt-sex.

A martyr's cell would be preferable to the financial and social ruin that is going to be visited on our pastors and priests.

[Mich Patriot]

Nope. I was so pissed when I read the headline that I missed the ‘Daily Telegraph’ part. Probably coming soon here though.

[GBA]

God defined marriage and God will not redefine it.

And, He is abundantly clear regarding this sort of sin, chapter and verse clear, along with its consequences. Best not to push it.

Please correct me if I am wrong, but does "tolerance" even appear in the Bible? I don't think it does.

What does appear is that God is one serious serial killer when pushed very far. Men, women, children are all wiped from the planet for crossing the line, even His own people, and not just in the biblical past. That's part of the plan for the future.

Jesus didn't change that fact, he reiterated it.

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

We have had similar conversations in our church (Lutheran Church Missouri Synod). That's a far cry from the ELCA who will actually ordain, or marry a homosexual, huh?

I don't even like to hear the term, "Lutheran" because it means no more than the term, "Christian".

[Yosemitest]

Those who support homosexuals are against our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ.
These anti Christ people only bring destruction on us ALL.
I have NO sympathy for homosexuals!

Homosexuality is a "Mark" of disobedience.

It was given by our Heavenly Father to test us
to see ... if we will OBEY our Heavenly Father,
and abide by His commandments, statues, and ordinances.

Someone once asked

"Why are they [homosexuals] all so angry?"

The answer is in the definition of "REPROBATE".

rep·ro·bate \ˈre-prə-ˌbāt\ a. [L. reprobatus, reprobo, to disallow; re and probo, to prove.]

1. Not enduring proof or trial; not of standard purity or fineness; disallowed; rejected.


Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the Lord hath rejected them. Jer. 6.




2. Abandoned in sin; lost to virtue or grace.

They profess that they know God, but in works deny him, being abominable and disobedient, and to every good work reprobate. Titus 1.

3. Abandoned to error, or in apostasy. 2Tim. 3.

And the reason"why" is given in the Bible.

God has a cure for homosexuals.

But will we OBEY our Heavenly Father?

[LibertarianLiz]

I know this is Britain; but, I have been waiting for this to happen someplace ever since the “gay marriage” thing got going. At some point, some gay couple will sue a church for not marrying them on the grounds of a “hate crime”. It will happen here.

[Psalm 73]

"Old Roger has gotten much more canny since he tangled with Saint Paul."

Which is why we are focusing on "home churches" - getting people used to meeting in homes instead of churches - prep. for coming persecution.

South Vietnamese pastors had thier congregations read "Tortured for Christ" by R. Wurmbrandt (founder of VOM) in preparation of takeover by the communists (Jane Fonda and Ted Kennedy's Red friends).

[jboot]

A church I attended some time ago had a large picture of Dr. Wurmbrandt hanging in a common area. It had been taken within a few months of his torture and was rather graphic. It had a way of pulling me up short every time I saw it. What an amazing man of faith he was!

Home churches are a great idea, but to work they have to be strictly under the radar: no paid staff, no insurance, no property or trusts, nothing that could create a paper trail. The pastor would need to be a tentmaking pastor, which is a demanding way of life.

Perhaps a FReeper with more legal acumen than me could speak to the possiblity of the hosting homeowner being named a party in a civil rights lawsuit. To the point: could you be financially or otherwise liable for hosting a home church that refuses to marry homosexuals? My gut says yes.