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 $1,000 fine for each day they decline to celebrate the same-sex wedding.”
The Alliance Defending Freedom has filed a suit in federal court to stop the city from enforcing the fine and jail sentence, saying in a statement from senior legal counsel Jeremy Tedesco that the government has overstepped its bounds, The Daily Caller reported.
“Many have denied that pastors would ever be forced to perform ceremonies that are completely at odds with their faith, but that’s what is happening here — and it’s happened this quickly,” Mr. Tedersco said, The Daily Caller reported.
But the city sees it differently. As far back as May, city officials were insisting that their ordinance is indeed in line with law.
“If you turn away a gay couple, refuse to provide services for them, then in theory you violated our code, and you’re looking at a potential misdemeanor citation,” said Coeur d‘Alene City Attorney Warren Wilson, to KXLY months ago.
Same sex Marriages may become acceptable in the eyes of man but NEVER in the eyes of GOD!!
OR JUST BY P$#%&!@* COEUR D’ALENE AND MOVE ON TO A PLACE THAT HAS COMMON SENSE. WON’T FIND ME THERE.
If I was a minister you would need to get a cell ready for me. May God help you all.
Separation of church and state tell them to go to hell . There headed there anyway .
This is bs but if the gov’t forces Christian ministers to perform the ceremonies does it not stand to reason that Imams would have to comply as well?
dont threat us
they can’t do that pastors have a right to deny who they marry and if they don’t want to marry gays they shouldn’t have to
dont do it pastors sue that city or state your rights are with god notthese sobs
Yeah–Coeur d’ Alene, was goin’ a little “wobbly” when I lived in Sandpoint–guess it slipped off the track. Too bad–used to be a nice little town.
Hey how about they go get the Muslims to marry them