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.
this is so unAmerican
ooops, time to leave Idaho City and head east!
They can’t change religion…. this is idiocy. I can’t wait for them to try and force Muslims to do this.
Apparently the people living in the city are OK with this or there would be a recall going on with the mayor and the city council. Otherwise I don’t see how it could happen..
If this isn’t tyranny I don’t know what would qualify.
bull $#%&!@*
Time to go to jail. 1 Tim 3
THREATS; THAT IS WHAT TYRANNY IS ALL ABOUT.
Time to change the City Officials. Vote them all out of Office.
Huh? Part of Freedom of Religion is the choice to abstain from practicing other religions. Plus, I thought church and state were separate…meaning churches gave up the right to federal funding to have the right to practice their beliefs without prejudice or political interruption. Hmm…