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.
LOL
These people will try anything they have no regard for the law whatsoever!
Our pastors should never be made to go against their faith and marry same sex couples, they are only pushing this to cause trouble, we have to make a stand for and with God, united we stand. God bless us all.
Well now we bear from Idaho
That is so wrong. They shouldn’t force people to do anything. I believe people have a right to be with who they want.
But like any other business you have the right to refuse service to anyone
Time to exterminate all liberal leftist scum.
No one should be forced to preform a ceremony that is against their faith. They want to get married then go to a justice of the peace or go somewhere else. A church wedding is done under God and the Bible clearly states a man should not lay with another man as he would with a woman.I’m sure that applies to women as well. I’m not against gays but I am against making our Pastors sin!!
I smell lawsuit
Unacceptable!
Leviticus 18:22