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 $1,000 fine for each day they decline to celebrate the same-sex wedding.”
The Alliance Defending Freedom has filed a suit in federal court to stop the city from enforcing the fine and jail sentence, saying in a statement from senior legal counsel Jeremy Tedesco that the government has overstepped its bounds, The Daily Caller reported.
“Many have denied that pastors would ever be forced to perform ceremonies that are completely at odds with their faith, but that’s what is happening here — and it’s happened this quickly,” Mr. Tedersco said, The Daily Caller reported.
But the city sees it differently. As far back as May, city officials were insisting that their ordinance is indeed in line with law.
“If you turn away a gay couple, refuse to provide services for them, then in theory you violated our code, and you’re looking at a potential misdemeanor citation,” said Coeur d‘Alene City Attorney Warren Wilson, to KXLY months ago.
They can not do this …there will be an uprising like they have never seen !
All people who this demonic order offends should sue, sue and sue this out of existance. I for one truly feel ill at this attack.
And there goes religious freedom
Years ago my pastor refused to marry a couple if even one of them had been divorced. Why can’t an individual have the right to act in accordance with their beliefs? This is making someone do something that to them is a sin! It makes me sick! Find someone who WILL “marry” you who supports your perversion. Many people do. Instead, they just want to punish anyone who doesn’t support their perversion!! This doesn’t garner support for you; it makes you hated. Get a clue!!
Yea this is wrong.
Pack my bags and leave town, no one is going to force me to do something against my beliefs.
If they want to pretend their married get a pretend pastor. Stop violating other people’s Christian beliefs. Who ever ordered this needs to go to jail.
Uncons$#%&!@*utional.
Doesn’t sound like the America most of us have grown up in!
This is what it is all about. Making religious people except something they don’t want to do. I didn’t have a problem with what people did in the privacy of their own homes. They are pushing to make people hate them.