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.
A tempest in a teapot. Simple solution: The Ministerial Association agrees that for their protection under the Constitution that All churches will be closed until such time as that this ruling by the city is abolished.
Wouldn’t this ruling violate the separation of church and state by the state by forcing a religion to go against it’s beliefs? Also, does this apply to all religions or just Christians?
What happened to “freedom of religion”?…It is unconstitutional to force anyone to do something that is against their religion. These homosexuals can go find someone who believes in homosexual marriage. Every lawmaker who tries to force ANYONE to do something against their own beliefs(especially clergy) should themselves be put in prison.
Guess I would be going to jail then… read your Bible… marriage is between 1 man and 1 woman. NOT 2 OF THE SAME SEX!!!
The thing is if any of these people would actually read their biblesa there is nowhere in it that makes it against their religuious beliefs, now it may be against their personal beliefs but until these cults start paying taxes they need to start doing what they are told too and stop being hypicritical bigots. Its ok for their pastors to molest children(usually boys) but they are somehow against gay marriage, they are nothing but a joke.
there is more to this them most understand . For the power stat be it is not even about Gay rights , but they are being used as a tool for the agenda of those in power. may years ago i found documents that outlined what they had planed to do .. the ting is with the moral majority in power it would be imposable to the ones in power to get the laws passed that they wanted to destroy the Constitution and to being in a one would government . for that reason many years ago it was decided to start pushing God out and bring in a more Liberal view . they started wit taking God out of the class rooms and by teaching the children new tings that went against the moral majority . splitting up the families is a large part of this as they take more control over the children , Have you been watching child serves lately ? more and more children are being taken from good families for little or now reason at all. i just read where a Little girl was taken from a family because she was a little short in height . they pushed Abortion ,sex ed , and being politically correct .Little by little started changing the minds of the young , the fact that the people have been voting 12to1 ageist the gay agenda yet the courts keep overriding the peoples vote should tell you something . as they make things mandatory that go against the Bible they can kill religions . and push trough laws for their agenda . what the gays do not know is that they too are noting more then a pone and will be discarded when the time is right . At this point those in power will use the gay agenda to finish off the moral majority , when they have finished writing the laws needed they will then use the Muslims against gays as well as the Christan and use them as a controlling factor in the one wold church to control the people but the gays and the Christians will be marked for death
This is wrong. Pastors have always been able to not do a wedding for a variety of reasons. If they thought the couple was too young, or too in mature. IF the couple were not of the same religion, or if they were not members of that church, SOme pastors choose not to marry those who have been married and divorced a number of times. They should refuse and let it ride all the way up to the Supreme court again My church has already discussed this and will not be preforming gay marriages
The pastors first amendment rights have been violated.. the supreme court even said that religious groups were exempt. I’m sure that they can find a minister who got is theology Degree from some degree mill to marry them.
That’s not right gas don’t want Christian values forced on them but yet they can force theirs on others not right if your gay want to get married more power to you there are plenty of one’s who will happily do it for you why force someone to do the very thing you are against
If you want to be gay, its on you. However, do not force your beliefs on me. This preacher should not have to perform this marriage. Who wants to get married where they are not wanted just to try to prove a point of discrimination? Go to the freaking court house not the house of God where we do not believe in same sex marriage. Guys take several seats.