Posted on 10/20/2014 6:04:33 AM PDT by dennisw
Religious Liberty Showdown
“On Friday, a same-sex couple asked to be married by the Knapps, and the Knapps politely declined. The Knapps now face a 180-day jail term and $1,000 fine for each day they decline to celebrate the same-sex wedding.” Note that jail time and the fine is per day, not per offense, The Daily Signal reports.
The city of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, is taking a step many opponents of same-sex marriage feared would come – forcing those with religious objections to perform same-sex marriages or risk facing prosecution for violating non-discrimination laws.
Donald and Evelyn Knapp, ordained ministers who oppose gay marriage, own the Hitching Post wedding chapel in Coeur d’Alene. Early in 2014, a federal judge in Idaho ruled that the same-sex marriage ban was unconstitutional, but the ruling was put on hold while the case was appealed. When the Supreme Court declined to hear the case, the ruling stood and went into effect.
The city of Coeur d’Alene has an ordinance that prohibits discrimination, including on the basis of sexual orientation, in public accommodations. It does have a religious exemption, but the Hitching Post is a for-profit company, not technically a religious organization, in spite of the Knapp’s deeply held personal beliefs.
Back in May, when everything was on hold pending the Supreme Court, Donald told KXLY, “I think the Bible is pretty clear that homosexuality is not his way, and therefore I cannot unite people in a way that I believe would conflict with what the Bible teaches.” The Knapps have said they will close their doors before violating their religious beliefs.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailycaller.com ...
I’ve always believed that a big part of the impetus for the gay marriage movement is that it is an issue in which Christians can be isolated from others. The Left hates Christians and has a long track record of persecuting them. Also, if you scratch many people who claim to be for gay marriage, that belief is very shallow. They don’t really believe that there is nothing odd or deformed about homosexuality, but they don’t want to be called bigots and don’t see homosexuality as a spiritual or moral issue in anything like the way that Christians do. But the hard-core gay militants and their sympathizers really DO want to punish and destroy anyone who gets in their way.
I think some lamp posts badly need decorating in Idaho City...
I’m wondering why the simple fact that “gay rights” is just a convenient vehicle for criminalizing Christianity
isn’t more blatantly obvious to more people?
It used to be that secular liberals criticized Christians for “Sunday religion,” i.e., religion that was confined to Sunday worship and which did not affect the rest of their lives. Now, they INSIST on Sunday-only religion, and say that you must leave your religion behind the walls of your church, and that once you leave church your religion must be inoperative.
Here is an example that illustrates my opinion. The minister at my church will not perform a same-sex marriage as part of the “religious services” offered by the church and I don't think the government could force him to perform one in that context. However, if the church ran a for-profit business on the side advertising weddings to the general public and my state had legalized same-sex marriages, I don't think the for-profit side of the church could legally turn them down.
no, because only muslims have govt-protected freedom of religion
That’s the reason the left is trying to “re-frame” the first amendment by using the term
“freedom of worship”.
I’m sure you’ve heard them use that phrase.
I agree that there is much hypocrisy in the law and in the way it is applied.
I don’t think that matters at all. The 1st Amendment is an individual guarantee, to exercise your religion how you please. The government can’t say “well, you didn’t exercise this little bit of the Bible, so you forfeited your guarantee”. That in itself would be a violation, because the government would be telling you how you must exercise.
I could even make an argument on theological grounds that such counseling is not required. The Bible advises people to marry if they can’t resist lust. Lust leads to hell. Marrying people to help them avoid hellfire is therefore an imminent priority, even if the people don’t want the counseling. (Not that I believe that is a valid argument, but it’s not for the government to judge)
That's the reason we lost so much civil and cultural control of the country. The power base liberals drew from in students, academics, government workers and government dependents with plenty of time to devote to pushing the agenda; one that many of them have never understood and wouldn't agree with if they did.
Perhaps a whole special script could be used for such special couples, condemning the lovely couple to eternal hellfire and damnation, lovingly together, forever. Amen.
Or some such. Get the money up front.
Joy, I see the marriage ceremony as both a religious ceremony and a civil one. I don’t believe a magistrate performs (or ought to) a religious ceremony. My objection is purely regarding the civil ceremony and the so-called marriage of people of the same gender. So, we differ there a bit.
I agree that it is an impossibility for two people of the same gender to be married in God’s eyes (according to my faith).
Too bad for him that homosexuality is condemned in the NT by Jesus Christ himself.
Hobby Lobby’s advertising doesn’t specify that they don’t perform homosexual weddings either. That doesn’t mean you can legally force them to.
This couple didn’t advertise that they would perform homosexual acts, including homosexual wedding ceremonies. They don’t perform those acts. You can’t legally require them to.
You wanna know what happened? Take a look around our beloved Free Republic. We have FReepers insisting that Christians should only be allowed to engage in commerce if we shed our faith, as though it’s a suit we can put on and take off at will.
A fella with deeply held beliefs will find that there are many folks in jail that need salvation.
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