Posted on 04/03/2016 9:45:43 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
The Christian owners of an Illinois wedding venue have vowed that they will never host same-sex wedding ceremonies at their family-run bed and breakfast even after they were forced to pay over $80,000 in fines.
Jim and Beth Walder, the owners of Timber Creek Bed & Breakfast in Paxton, Illinois, were fined by the state's Human Rights Commission on Tuesday for declining to host the wedding of Todd and Mark Wathen in 2011.
After the Wathens reached out to Timber Creek to express interest in having their wedding there, Jim Walder responded with an email saying that they could not accommodate the request because "homosexuality is immoral and unnatural based on what the Bible says about it."
"If that is discrimination, I guess we unfortunately discriminate," Walder's email to the Wathens reportedly stated.
Reuters reports that the commission ruled that the facility must pay both Wathens $15,000 each for emotional distress caused by the incident on top of $50,000 in legal fees and $1,218.35 in court costs.
Despite the fact that the Walders could face additional fines if they continue declining to host same-sex weddings at their venue, the Walders said in a statement to the Ford County Record following the ruling that they will not be coerced into violating their religious convictions on marriage.
"To be absolutely clear, we cannot host a same-sex wedding even though fines and penalties have been imposed by the IL Human Rights Commission. Our policy will not be changing," Jim Walder said in his statement. "We are not looking for a fight, but when immoral laws are purposely passed (or deemed constitutional) that blatantly conflict with God's Word and when the heavy hand of government tries to force us as Christians to embrace sinful behavior, we have a moral obligation to resist and stand for Biblical truth. 'It is better to obey God than men.' Acts 5:29."
Walder's statement also asserted that the commission's ruling is a sign that "religious freedom does not exist within the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act or the Illinois Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act."
"In our opinion, neither the State of Illinois nor the U. S. Supreme Court has the authority to tamper with the definition of marriage. God alone created marriage and declared thousands of years ago that it was to be between a man and a woman," the statement reads. "Not two men. Not two women. We may be out of step with an increasingly anti-Christian culture, but we are in compliance with God's design and that is what ultimately matters."
The Walders also posted another statement to the company's website explaining their view on gay marriage.
"God is not confused. His Word clearly illustrates and declares that marriage is between one man and one woman. It also labels homosexuality as an abominable sin throughout the Old and New Testaments. God's Word is the ultimate authority, infallible, and unchanging," the statement reads. "Consequently, we cannot host civil unions or gay marriages at TimberCreek Bed & Breakfast. It is not an issue of fairness or equality, but an issue of right and wrong. We cannot be part of what God condemns."
This is not the first time that a Christian-run wedding venue has been fined for refusing to service a gay couple's wedding.
In 2014, the owners of a farm near Albany, New York were fined $13,000 for refusing to open their facility for a gay wedding.
Also in 2014, a city in Idaho threatened ordained ministers who also own a wedding chapel with fines and even jail time if they did not serve a same-sex wedding.
Only because enough choose to let them
If someone tried this BS on me, I’d make a stink like you’ve never seen
> “... were fined by the state’s ***Human Rights Commission*** on Tuesday ...”
Human Rights Commission ... this exists also in Canada where they jail Christians for standing up to perversion and other ‘hate crimes’.
That’s right, bend over and grab your ankles
Give each such proposed customer a free complementary copy of the film Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
Of course the government will persecute believers.
Typical dog-bites-man story regarding homosexuals and Christians. I'm still waiting for the cowardly homosexual bullies to make similar claims upon the local mosque and imam.
Christians are easily pushed around; the muzzies, not so much.
There are two legal reasons not to do it. The first is that it is a violation of your first amendment rights. The second is that it is slavery, a violation of your 14th amendment rights.
What in the hell does being GAY have to do with RACE, CREED, or COLOR?
Can someone explain to me how Muhammad Ali can be granted by the Supreme Court a conscientious objector exception regarding the draft, based on his religious beliefs, but this couple can’t claim exception based on their religious beliefs? I have been a big fan of Ali as an athlete, but how one can be OK and the other not must involve some very nuanced criteria..
I miss freedom and the rule of law.
I miss the First Amendment with its free exercise of religion.
I miss the Eighth Amendment with its prohibition against excessive fines.
I miss the Second Amendment, which was designed to be a final response to petty tyranny like this.
“homosexuality is immoral and unnatural based on what the Bible says about it.”
Attention ALL CHRISTIANS, next time tell them this:
“homosexuality is immoral and unnatural based on what the QURAN says about it.”
I’m a proponent of civil disobedience, and the business described in the article has my admiration and support. Many actions of the government and the courts are immoral, damaging of sound society, and damaging to the very foundation of civilization.
Of course the government will persecute believers.>>> i agree but these are not courts. they are administrative fines from bureaucrats.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/242
18 U.S. Code § 242 - Deprivation of rights under color of law
Whoever, under color of any law, statute, ordinance, regulation, or custom, willfully subjects any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution . . . shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both, or may be sentenced to death.
____________________________________________________________
I would like to see every gay “couple” who uses the law as a weapon, and every commissioner, judge, and administrator who participates in these efforts to trample “rights, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution” punished for deprivation of rights under color of law. The sooner the better, but if our first opportunity is 40 years from now, I’m okay with the wait.
The First Amendment’s freedom of religion is nearly absolute, and the trivia of a wedding venue is nowhere near sufficient justification for trampling freedom. When the time comes and the rule of law is restored, decent people should fine them everything they have, send them to prison for so long that they will never get out, or sentence them to the death penalty. This level of evil is unforgivable and should never, ever be forgiven or forgotten.
RE: “homosexuality is immoral and unnatural based on what the QURAN says about it.”
Actually that might work.
Here in the US, You are DEFENDED by the government for doing something similar to that. See here:
Muslim drivers refuse to deliver beer in US, win $240,000 lawsuit
I wish them luck. Today’s laws are mostly stacked against them and other conservative believers.
Tell the IL HRC to go stuff it.
L
To the above I would add: And feel free to appeal to God fearing fellow Americans to BACK US UP IN ALL WAYS.
I admire their standing for right but there are smarter ways to avoid fines and giving the fags your money in bogus court judgements.
You just tell the queer “couples” you are all booked up, on vacation, etc.
Nothing they can do about that.
People in GA may yet join Mrs. Bill’s brigade.
Close your business and your bank accounts. Go off the grid and never pay a dime of that fine.
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