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.
I'll help:
Having undertaken, for the Glory of God, and advancements of the Christian faith and honor of our King and Country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the Northern parts of Virginia, do by these presents, solemnly and mutually, in the presence of God, and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic; for our better ordering, and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and by virtue hereof to enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions, and offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the colony; unto which we promise all due submission and obedience.In witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names at Cape Cod the 11th of November, in the year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord King James, of England, France, and Ireland, the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth, 1620.
Great story! You have some great genes in you!
Did you SEE those pictures?
They are HORRIBLE!
We'll NEVER recommend that guy to ANY of OUR friends!
One must, at some times, lose a battle or two to win the war.
Only in your eyes. You AGREED to pay for them, so DO IT NOW; or we'll take YOU to court; you Proud Faggies!
What is The Help?
Oh, okay. Whatever blows your skirt up.
I learned that phrase from a Texas "good ole boy" a long time ago. WHAT a nice guy he was. I still miss him.
1. My father once said "Where there's love there is good." My father RARELY said stuff like that. But he was right. My nail guy and his (now dying of brain cancer) partner have love.
2. I don't judge them. Who am I to judge? I remember the movie SON OF GOD and the scene with the woman about to be stoned for adultery. Jesus told them: Whoever is without sin--cast the first stone.
Besides, I am old and was never more than "attractive" in my twenties. My nails were always thin and brittle, always splitting. I had HORRIBLE nails. I still do under these nail tips.
Then one day, my girlfriend, who always bit her nails to the stubs showed up with GORGEOUS nails...yes, artificial nails. So I got them too. I get my hair cut and colored too.
I spend VERY little money on my appearance: clothes by L.L. Bean but I taught at the college level most of my working life and it was a good thing to be well groomed. Hair and nails are all I do. I haven't worn make up for almost 50 years and I wear no jewelry except very simple small hoops.
Looking good -- lol. My dear, sweet husband thought I was beautiful and I DID ask him if he needed glasses but ... I was lucky to have such a husband. I miss him still.
Tolerate sin? You are harsh and wrong. I simply don't judge people and TRY to take them at face value.
YOU can and DO. And you do it very well. Practice makes perfect.
Thanks but I never said that there were problems plaguing my church. Please try not to misquote. Thankew.
Authorizing and endorsing the power of the state to enforce a state-sponsored ideological purity has a name: it's called Fascism.
And John Roberts owns it.
Dear OneWingedShark,
Well done!
Tell it to GOD.
“Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?... And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?... Do you not know that we shall judge angels?... How much more, things that pertain to this life?.. If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge ? (1 Corinthians 6:1-5).
Many commands of God require the exercise of righteous judgment.
“But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us” (2 Thessalonians 3:6).
“And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother” (2 Thessalonians 3:14,15).
“Teach and exhort these things. If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wrangling of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself” (2 Timothy 6:2b-5).
“Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple” (Romans 16:17,18).
All these commands require the careful exercise of righteousness judgment. Do not be deceived by smooth words and flattering speech. Beware of wolves who come to you with a sheep’s skin.
We must be careful not to make unqualified judgments. But we must judge appropriately when commanded to do so.
“Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” (John 7:24).
Would you 'tolerate' the nail guys stealing your car; just because there is LOVE involved?
Harsh?
Damn right!
I'm tired of looking the other way when folks are RUINING their lives! and their eternity as well!
What?
There were no quotes around what I wrote - it all come outta my head.
If, however, you want to claim the homo sin in the catholic church is NOT a plague; I'd like to hear your definition.
” My father once said “Where there’s love there is good.” My father RARELY said stuff like that. But he was right.”
So...adultery can be good? Fornication can be good? Bestiality can be good?
GOD determines good, based on His character. If God says it is sin, then it is sin. My ‘judgment’ of others consists of saying all have sinned, including me, and all need to repent. But what we need to repent of are the sins we do - and for some, that means repenting and rejecting homosexuality.
I cannot decide to have sex outside of my marriage and claim it is OK because “I love”. God will judge me for it unless I repent and submit to Him. The same is true of homosexuals. They need to repent, believe, and submit to God...and that means giving up homosexuality.
Better:
“Why yes, I’m more than happy to (insert name of service/product to be provided at a gay wedding) for your wedding! And are you aware that for weddings of this type 100% of my profits are donated to (insert name of Christian gay conversion therapy offeror)?”
The problem will immediately take care of itself, without the Christian business having to either provide the service OR put itself into legal jeopardy.
The gay couple goes away angry, of their own accord, without anything they can do about it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.