Coeur d‘Alene, Idaho has created an ordinance that forces pastors to marry gays or go to jail and get fined.
This follows the legal battle in the same town with ministers Donald and Evelyn Knapp, who refused to marry a gay couple last year and now face a $1000 per day fine and up to 180 days in jail.
With this the government has decided that religious freedom is subservient to the sexual preference of others.
A federal judge recently ruled that the state’s ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional, while the city of Coeur d‘Alene has an ordinance that prevents discrimination based on sexual preference.
The Supreme Court’s recent refusal to take on gay rights’ appeals from five states has opened the doors for same-sex marriages to go forth.
The Knapps were just asked by a gay couple to perform their wedding ceremony, The Daily Caller reported.
“On Friday, a same-sex couple asked to be married by the Knapps, and the Knapps politely declined,” The Daily Signal reported. “The Knapps now face a 180-day jail term and a $1,000 fine for each day they decline to celebrate the same-sex wedding.”
The Alliance Defending Freedom has filed a suit in federal court to stop the city from enforcing the fine and jail sentence, saying in a statement from senior legal counsel Jeremy Tedesco that the government has overstepped its bounds, The Daily Caller reported.
“Many have denied that pastors would ever be forced to perform ceremonies that are completely at odds with their faith, but that’s what is happening here — and it’s happened this quickly,” Mr. Tedersco said, The Daily Caller reported.
But the city sees it differently. As far back as May, city officials were insisting that their ordinance is indeed in line with law.
“If you turn away a gay couple, refuse to provide services for them, then in theory you violated our code, and you’re looking at a potential misdemeanor citation,” said Coeur d‘Alene City Attorney Warren Wilson, to KXLY months ago.
Time to fight for cons$#%&!@*utional rights!
WHAT!!!!!
That’s why the weat is having drought, fires and other problems. They have turned their backs on GOD and are like Sodom and Gomorrah. And we know what happened to them.
IF YOU DENY ME BEFORE MAN…I WILL DENY YOU…before my father in Heaven…………….SCRIPTURE…IDAHO!!
They need to find the idiots and hang them for treason. The Government has gone to far !
No man can take your beliefs from you even if they put you in chains. This country is close to exploding. In a civil war. Not a race war but civil liberties
This idiot town council is violating 3 federal laws and each member of the council can be charged for it. They can each be charged a combined fine of $450,000.00 and a combined imprisonment of no more than 12 yrs or both. The pastors in this town all need to get together and go to federal court and file the necessary charges against each member of the council. The federal laws are $#%&!@*le 18 U.S.C. Section 241; Conspiracy against Rights, a Cl$#%&!@* C felony with a $250,000.00 fine or no more than 10 yrs imprisonment or both. Section 242; Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law and Section 247; Obstruction of Persons in Their Free Exercise of Religious Beliefs. Sections 242 and 247 are Cl$#%&!@* A misdemeanors with a fine of $100,000.00 or no more than 1 yr. imprisonment or both. The entire city council can be charged as a whole and be fined $500,000.00.
What happened to separation of church and state? The Government used that line like crazy any time the churches tried to promote religion in schools or courtrooms. but they can force churches to go against their religious beliefs and its ok? I dont see this happening to any Mosques…
what happened to our religious rights
What!!???