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.
What ever happened to that ‘separation of Church and State’ thing? If I was a Pastor there I’d be moving my Church to some other town!
Bullcrap.where is that thing called seperate church n state. Will not force anyone to marry .when there is no such thing as marriage. When both are male or female. They may live together but marriage.cant happen.they can’t make a child
that is not legal
i wont vacation there any more
P**s off the town by relocating just outside the town’s limits so their law doesn’t apply! Appeal this and sue them for failing to allow you free practice of religion. I thought Idaho is a conservative state.
What they do with there bodies is their business. They have the same rights as everyone else, From a Bibical standpoint , the rise of $#%&!@*sexuality is a sign that a society is in the last stages of decay. Rom:22-27. When values and morals are turned upside down, and moral anarchy appears. We see this happening everyday on the news. How much longer before it is finished.
I would say hell with that and move !!!!!
How much more fair can we be? More is never enough, They want everyone to accept it as normal. and if we don’t we are sued.
Isn’t this one of the reasons why we left England and had a Revolutionary war. We were tired of the king suppressing our freedom of religion. Of course I’ve over simplified this, but c’mon now.
City can’t force church pastors to marry except what there faith allows according to U.S. Cons$#%&!@*ution separation of state and religion never mind city ordering ordained pastor.