Posted on 12/23/2015 11:03:20 AM PST by xzins
The First Amendment right to freedom of religion seems to be utterly meaningless to liberals in government today as they continue to make rulings that are the equivalent of ripping the Constitution to pieces and wiping their backsides with it.
Courts in Massachusetts are now telling Catholic schools they have no choice but to hire homosexuals, despite the fact doing so goes against their beliefs.
This is exactly why separation of church and state exists. Not to keep God out of government, but government out of the church.
From Christian News:
A state court in Massachusetts has ruled that a religious school in the state can't decline to hire homosexuals for non-teaching positions despite their lifestyle being contrary to the school's mission and beliefs.
In 2013, Matthew Barrett accepted a job as food service director at Fontbonne Academy in Milton, an all-girls school that is sponsored by the Roman Catholic Sisters of Saint Joseph of Boston. However, when he listed his "husband" as his emergency contact on his initial employment forms, the job offer was rescinded because his lifestyle ran contrary to the school's values.
Barrett then sued the school, alleging discrimination.
Fontbonne Academy argued that it had a right to hire those in accordance with Roman Catholic teachings, as it believes that homosexual behavior is sinful. It said that being forced to hire those engaged in open homosexuality would violate their First Amendment right to the free exercise of religion and freedom of association.
On Wednesday, Superior Court Associate Justice Douglas Wilkins ruled against Fontbonne Academy, agreeing that Barrett had been discriminated against. One of his reasons for ruling against the school was that Barrett was hired for a non-teaching position.
"Religious liberty is guaranteed not only by the Free Exercise clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, but even more broadly, by Article II of the Declaration of Rights of the Massachusetts Constitution," said Catholic Action League Executive Director C. J. Doyle in a statement. "Religious freedom consists not merely of the right to worship, but of the right of religious institutions to govern their internal affairs free of state interference."
"Judge Wilkins's decision would compel Catholic institutions to hire those who reject and despise Catholic teaching, fatally impairing the constitutionally protected right of those institutions to carry on their mission," he continued. "This is precisely the sort of 'excessive entanglement' of government with religion decried and prohibited by the U.S. Supreme Court."
The world we inhabit continues to grow more insane as liberalism infects and destroys common sense and liberty across the globe.
Schools, particularly of the religious variety, should have complete control over who they hire, for any position, and shouldn't be forced to justify their decision to hire or fire someone to a court of law.
If the institution feels it's better for its students not to have homosexuals working in the building in any capacity, that's their belief and it should be respected.
Unfortunately, the First Amendment is basically toilet paper for progressives, so hey, it's not surprising they're doing their best to destroy this most basic liberty in order to further the twisted liberal view of a "Utopian," government run society.
said Catholic Action League Executive Director C. J. Doyle in a statement. "Religious freedom consists not merely of the right to worship, but of the right of religious institutions to govern their internal affairs free of state interference."
The abomination that causes desolation marches on.
That one of Mr. Severe conservative’s appointments?
This is the third tiem I’ve seen the headlines “Massachusetts Court is Forcing Catholic Schools to Hire Homosexuals” Which indicates Mass is forcing all catholic schools/religious schools to hire homos-
Then the article goes on to talk about just this one case where the school itself had a policy of non ‘discrimination’ based on sexual preferences
Which is it? Is Mass banning all religious schools fro m denying homos? Or just this one school?
Catholic schools should get themselves off government funding. They have to take govt testing and curriculum with the money. Of course
There are private and parochial.
The Catholic School has three options.
It may appeal the ruling, close or accept the ruling.
Let’s see what the school’s response will be.
No surprise to me. We are simply moving more and more in the direction where violence is the correct solution to our political problems.
Solution: Close the school. Hire a Catholic management team. Reopen the school. Hire the same teachers or better ones. Don’t hire the homosexual. Problem solved.
How do you understand precedent when it comes to legal issues?
How about the court physically make ‘em do it?
fine.
hire them... and put them in charge of a classroom in the boiler room with no students
make sure to have a clause in their contract that they must be at their desks during all class times, regardless of student attendance. then make sure to schedule their classes through lunch so they don’t mingle with the rest of the school
This isn’t unique. It is happening enough to make you wonder whether there is a concerted effort to tear down the church.
Aug. 2015 - “St. Mary’s Academy, an all-girls Catholic school in Portland, Oregon, ended a contract with a teacher for being openly gay, but has reversed course, challenging Church teaching by instituting hiring polices that welcome LGBT people.”
Apr. 2015 - “Dowling Catholic High School in Des Moines, Iowa refused to hire a teacher after discovering he was a homosexual. The school has not backed down, and is supported by diocesan authority, despite bitter protests by homosexuals.”
Apr. 2015 - “Skutt Catholic High School, Omaha, Nebraska, did not renew the contract of a teacher after she announced being in a homosexual relationship. School has not retreated, despite bitter protests by homosexuals.”
In San Francisco, thousands of individuals are engaged in a sustained protest effort against the Archishop, Salvatore Cordileone, demanding he abandon a new “morality clause” for Catholic schoolteachers that would make it legal to fire people for being publicly gay. Similar fights are also being waged among Catholic communities in Miami, Cincinnati, Massachusetts, and Hawaii, among others.
A Catholic food pantry in Kansas City, Missouri, and a music director at a church in a church Inverness, Illinois are both suing after they were fired by their respective employers for being openly gay.
Mar. 2015 - “The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued a determination that a Catholic college preparatory school in Macon, Georgia, violated the rights of a gay teacher when officials refused to renew his contract after learning of his intention to marry his partner. If the school refuses to settle, the teacher could file a federal lawsuit to enforce laws that prohibit discrimination.”
That strikes me as workable.
My only caveat would be that procedure is not permitted in labor/management/ownership issues in industry. I think they have to close, sell, reopen under different ownership for it to work in industry.
Like to start hearing about Islamic Madrasas in the U.S being forced to hire gays. But you won’t because they will threaten and likely carry out terrorist acts in response.
Why not require the hiring of all mentally ill people, not just homosexuals ?
If that is the case then why does the schools own website say that they make employment decisions regardless of "...race, color, citizenship status, national origin, ancestry, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed, physical or mental disability, marital status, veteran status, political affiliation, or any other factor protected by law?" Link
You can't advertise that you accept employees regardless of sexual orientation or marital status, and then fire someone because of their sexual orientation and marital status. The school has nobody but themselves to blame for their predicament.
I think they should accept it, that is, accept it when they force the Islamic Madrassas to hire homos.
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