Posted on 04/07/2014 12:04:02 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Gay rights trump religious rights.
That’s the rule of law in New Mexico after the U.S. Supreme Court declined on Monday to consider whether a wedding photographer was within her rights when she refused to film a gay couple’s commitment ceremony.
The high court’s decision not to hear the case lets stand a New Mexico Supreme Court decision that the owners of Elane Photography violated the state’s anti-discrimination laws.
As one New Mexico justice ominously noted, Jonathan and Elaine Huguenin “are compelled by law to compromise the very religious beliefs that inspire their lives.”
The state’s demand that the Huguenins disobey their religious beliefs and photograph the ceremony is “the price of citizenship,” a justice wrote.
I write extensively about the Huguenins in my upcoming book, “God Less America.”
The Supreme Court’s decision not to hear the case sends a chilling message to Americans who oppose gay marriage, said Jordan Lorence, an Alliance Defending Freedom attorney who represents the Huguenins.
“It is disconcerting because the (state) decision was so harsh that this small company can now be forced by state anti-discrimination laws to create messages that they don’t agree with,” he told me. “This new authoritarianism – forcing people to bow the knee to a new orthodoxy or they be punished – is very chilling.”
In 2006 Elaine Huguenin received an email from Vanessa Willock asking her to photograph a “commitment ceremony” between Willock and her same-sex partner. Huguenin declined because the event would have been at odds with her deep convictions, Lorence said.
She had previously declined to photograph other events, including nude photography sessions.
The lesbian couple found a lower-priced photographer to shoot their ceremony, but they nonetheless filed a complaint with the New Mexico Human Rights Commission. The ensuing legal battle became one of the first major cases to explore the collision of gay rights and the First Amendment rights of business owners.
“When people say things like gay rights trump religious rights, what they are saying is the government can force people to believe a certain way – and that is something that in a free society should not be tolerated,” Lorence said.
The idea that gay rights take precedence over everyone else’s rights was recently manifested in the forced resignation of Mozilla co-founder Brendan Eich, who came under fire from the gay rights community after it was revealed he had donated money to California’s Prop 8 initiative.
“We are now going to see more situations where people are going to be forced to choose between what they believe about marriage – and their job or their business,” Lorence told me.
“What concerns me is there will be an effort to expand these types of hunting down people with wrong opinions. I don’t know how far this can go.”
I know exactly how far this can go.
I believe militant gay rights groups will start targeting churches that own fellowship halls. I believe they will start targeting pastors who preach against homosexuality. And I believe they will go after individuals who attend those kinds of churches.
Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va.) was among those shocked by the Supreme Court’s inaction. He said every American should be concerned.
“The ability to speak freely and live according to our beliefs is the prize, not the price, of citizenship,” the congressman said. “And we all have a stake in protecting it.”
It’s not out of the realm of possibility that one day Americans could be forced to answer this question: Do you know or have you ever been a member of a church that opposes gay marriage?
The religious cleansing of America has begun.
Question: why are we BOTHERING with them?
Because the liberals are using it as a mode to destroy our society.
compelled by law = tyranny
I would say that the 10th Amendment prevents SCOTUS from being able to overturn the decision since this was done in a state court and not a federal one. Citizens of NM should petition to put this on the ballot and either have the law repealed or something the protects you from being forced to participate in something that violates your religious beliefs.
The only reason why I would “bother” with them is that they seem to be able to use the media to force their acceptance on everyone else. We need to defend our freedoms without prejudice.
The Cowardice of the court shows how much they are under the thumb of the powers that be...
That’s not a reason; it’s only a vent. Way too general to be anything other than a vent.
The SCOTUS has already decided that the US Constitution doesn’t govern, so all bets are off on any issue, along with the moral need to comply with their “rulings”.
homosexuals are a religion.
When parents don’t make sure that their children are taught the Constitution as the Founding States had intended for it to be understood, then anything can trump the Constitution imo.
The left is doing the bidding of their ideological father
and using homos as the spearpoint in the quest to criminalize Christianity.
Answer: Yes, homosexual “rights” trump all else, regardless of U.S. Constitution!
We the 98.5% mostly don’t bother with the faggies or how they abuse their bodily plumbing.
But the faggies are IN OUR FACE and are empowered by the government to be that way.
And that’s a problem.
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The only reason why I would “bother” with them is that they seem to be able to use the media to force their acceptance on everyone else. We need to defend our freedoms without prejudice.
One can turn off the media. Their strength lies in not getting turned off and getting WAY too much attention by people like us FReepers.
I don't think the media are going to change. Nothing we say or do here will change them. They say and do what they want, hiding behind the Constitution. The very WORST thing that can be done to them is to ignore them.
Just an opinion.
For a Christian photography being forced to sell a wedding product for gay weddings is the same as a Muslims butcher being forced to sell pork...
There are business that choose to sell or not to sell a produce. So is this service a product?
Well that same gay person could come in and buy wedding photo services for a heterosexual marriage and it would be provided.
And a straight person could come in and try to buy services for a gay marriage and be denied.
So it is not the customer being discriminated against..
It is the requested product is not sold.
Is a Christian photography also required to due a nudity wedding?..or pornografic photo?
Is a Black business require to produce products for KKK or NAZI consumption?
Why should they? The court is Liberal with CINO people.
I reread “I’m No Hero”by Charlie Plumb; and “when Hell was in Session” by the late US Senator Jeremiah A Denton Jr.; and “In the Presence of Mine enemies” ; and With God in a PO W Camp—and I am convinced Our American Government is a more perfect reflection of the Communist —than it reflects the
Founders Constitutional system. Our American held POW were more like the Revolutionary War Patriot than Most Americans today. The POW resisted and insisted they be allowed a Bible, and be allowed to free exercise of their religion.The V said (Much like our current system does)—that the POW could already worship God -they just could not do it except by the rules of the Communists. At Patrick AirForce Base the commander has waved the white flag and removed the Missing Man Table display -—because it includes the Bible .The POW I have spoken to—and have read their story have suggested that when they were denied a Bible they resisted and they fasted— and the V gave in. Allowed the Bible for two days many prisoners just wanted to touch its open pages,atheists were first in line.When the enemy destroyed the simple crosses made from bamboo—the POW created more.When the POW were cursed, and beat—and tortured because they would sing Christian hymns.Or recite from their memory Bible verses.The American POW continued to resist.But in America today—where is the resistance?
In America today we have allowed Gay Rights and Government
decree to trump the most cherished -most fundamental Right recognized by our nations founders. WHY? t makes no sense to me.
Because the majority of the justices on the SCOTUS are Catholic, and the Catholic church is very accommodating of homosexuals.
Ask any altar boy.
This is all being coordinated by the regime.
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