The coalition to protect marriage in Minnesota is making the point that the religious protections being offered are not enough -- redefining marriage always threatens religious freedom:
Same-sex marriage opponents warned Minnesotans that religious liberty will not be protected if the Legislators legalize gay marriage this year.
“In New York, we were promised that the religious freedom amendment to our same-sex marriage legislation would do the job,” said the Rev. Jason McGuire, president of New Yorker’s Family Research Foundation. “Our legislators bought the lie and today every New Yorker is living the lie.”
Minnesota for Marriage brought several town officials from New York, where same-sex marriage is legal, who argue they had to resign rather than be forced to process marriage licenses for gay and lesbian couples even though it was against their religious beliefs. The group says the religious protections in the Minnesota proposal are completely inadequate, leaving business owners and religious groups wide open to lawsuits if they fail to embrace same-sex marriage.
Minnesota for Marriage held the news conference as legislators are weighing a proposal to legalize same-sex marriage this year. Dozens of supporters stuffed into the small conference room, many holding signs that read: “Don’t erase moms and dads from MN public policy.” (Star Tribune)
More consequences of same-sex marriage immediately harming religious institutions:
Family First New Zealand has received notification that government's Charities Commission intends to deregister the charity. Why? Family First has a traditional view of marriage being one man and one woman. The commission's investigation began just after NZ’s gay marriage debate started last year.
The decision means that the organisation will no longer be exempt from income tax and, more importantly for a non-profit, donations to it will no longer be tax-deductible.
“This is a highly politicised decision which is grim evidence that groups that think differently to the prevailing politically correct view will be targeted in an attempt to shut them up,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ. (MercatorNet)
Hawaii's First Circuit Court has ruled in favor of a lesbian couple against the owner of the Aloha Bed & Breakfast, alleging that the religious owner "discriminated" against the couple for not renting them a room.
The Blaze reports the Bed & Breakfast owner's attorney, Jim Hochberg, saying that "[t]he public needs to be aware of this decision because it has far-reaching consequences," and because it ignores the owner's First Amendment rights.
Of course, while lawsuits such as this are becoming ever more frequent, yet still same-sex marriage activists claim redefining marriage will have no impact on anyone's religious freedom or basic rights.
But they know as well as we do that cases such as this one are only more frequent and harder to fight against where marriage is redefined.
When issues of consequence like this were raised during the campaign against same-sex marriage, the backers of same-sex marriage said things like this would never happen. They went so far as to claim we were lying and that religious freedom was fully protected.
That so-called “protection” didn’t even last a matter of weeks. This is just the latest example that whenever marriage is redefined, it’s the end of full religious liberty for the citizens in that jurisdiction:
After five weeks of biting their tongues, a gay couple in Richland, Washington, ismaking a loaded offer to a florist who refused to sell them flowers based her biblical belief that "marriage is between a man and a woman."
Robert Ingersoll and Curt Freed's lawyers, working with the legal powerhouse at the ACLU of Washington, sent a letter today to Arlene's Flowers owner Baronelle Stutzman saying she has two options: (1) She can vow to never again discriminate in her services for gay people, write an apology letter to be published in the Tri-City Herald, and contribute $5,000 to a local LGBT youth center, or (2) she can get sued for violating the Washington State Civil Rights Act.
Breitbart News sent the questions below on non-discrimination ordinances to the four Republicans in Congress who have flip-flopped on marriage.
They have yet to receive a response from their offices.
That's because these Republicans are in the process of learning that a) their new position is hugely unpopular with their base and b) betraying marriage isn't the end of the pressure they will receive from far-left activists -- it's only the beginning:
Should business within the wedding/marriage industry be protected from lawsuits resulting from a refusal to service same-sex couples at wedding halls, photography services, catering, etc..?
Should Catholic adoption agencies be forced to include same sex couples when a baby is up for adoption?
Should Christian marriage therapists lose their jobs or licenses b/c they refuse to see same sex couples ?
Should children in public schools be mandated to learn about homosexuality, when the parents do not think it is appropriate to be taught?'
Where does the member stand on the Employment Non-discrimination Act (ENDA)?
Christian registrars will not be able to opt out of performing marriages for gay couples because registrars are deemed to be public officials, the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has said.
Giving evidence this week to a committee of MPs that are studying the (Marriage Same Sex Couples) Bill for England and Wales, the EHRC declared that although religious institutions are likely to face no legal sanctions for refusing to marry gay couples, public registrars, who perform civil partnerships and marriages on behalf of the state will be expected to comply fully with the new legislation.
The owner cites his biblical understanding of marriage in the interview, while the Department of Justice is examining the allegations made against him by the woman who was refused a cake:
From the segment voiceover:
What Aaron and his wife want to make clear is that he don't hate homosexuals, in fact, quite the opposite: "I have no problem with them I have customers who come in almost on a weekly basis who are homosexual. I have no problem, they can buy my stuff I sell stuff I talk with them I mean it's fine." What's not fine, according to Aaron, is a marriage between people of the same sex. He says he'll always stand by that conviction. "I'd rather have my kids see their dad stand up for what he believed in then to see him bow down because one person complained."
Patrick Craine, Canadian Bureau Chief of LifeSiteNews, promotes our latest MarriageADA video on the threat of same-sex marriage infringing on the rights of parents:
Just as Ontario’s new Premier Kathleen Wynne has announced plans to reintroduce an explicit sex-ed program, the Marriage Anti-Defamation Alliance, and our friend Damian Goddard have released a great video about a striking case where exactly this type of program has been used as a battering ram against parental rights.
... It’s bad enough that this stuff would be taught in the classroom at all – why not let parents judge for themselves when their kids are ready to discuss sex? – but now there’s an increasingly entrenched opposition to even informing parents when it comes up.
The video is an interview with Dr. Steve Tourloukis. Tourloukis asked the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board to be told when his kids would be discussing same-sex “marriage” and other controversial issues in the classroom, but they said to do so would be a violation of “human rights.” So he’s taking them to court to get a declaration that the parent has primary authority over his children’s education.
The school board, amazingly, has the gall to oppose him in court on even such a basic proposition.
This type of abuse by schools is coming to cities across North America and the West, so parents need to be ready. Our children’s hearts and souls depend on it.
Before the Illinois legislature concluded business for the lame duck session they were sent a letter by the Thomas More Society which is still relevant as gay marriage advocates continue to push for a redefinition of marriage:
Today the state legislators of Illinois were warned about the documented consequences of legalizing same-sex marriage. The Thomas More Society, a public interest law firm focused on protecting constitutional rights, sent letters to each member of the Illinois General Assembly, encouraging them to oppose the "Illinois Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act."
The missive, signed by Thomas Brejcha, President and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Society, and Peter Breen, Executive Director and Legal Counsel, advised the lawmakers that voting "yes" to the proposed same-sex marriage bill will harm, rather than support, constituents. If passed, explains the letter, the discriminatory act will declare Illinoisans who support traditional marriage to be bigoted and prejudicial. As in other states that have passed this type of legislation, public children as young as kindergarten may be taught about same-sex sexual activity, and parents who disapprove will have no right to opt their children out.
...The only documented benefit to Illinois' same-sex couples, assert Brejcha and Breen, would be a change in wording from "civil union license" to "marriage license," a vanity not worth the disenfranchisement of large segments of the state's population. The current law already provides same-sex couples the rights of married couples.
They contend that the proposed act will do great harm to the religious liberty all Americans are guaranteed under the Constitution of the United States. Rather than promote civic tolerance, the "Illinois Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act" will legalize intolerance. (Christian News Wire)
Over 100 Chicago area pastors vowed to fight back against the effort to legalize same sex marriages Thursday morning at an informational forum sponsored by Illinois Family Institute at the Tinley Park Convention Center in the southwest suburbs.
IFI's Executive Director David Smith and Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Joseph LaRue told the pastors representing black, Latino and mixed congregations that the legislation is more expansive than simply allowing two persons of the same sex to legally marry. Rep. Greg Harris' new proposal would also require any church that opens its doors to outside organizations to rent to same sex couples, as well.
"If this bill passes, they have graciously decided to give you what the First Amendment says, and what the courts have said, that you don't have to marry anybody you don't want to, isn't that nice of them?" LaRue said. "But here's what does happen to you - If you let outside groups use your church facility, if you rent your church facilities to the Boy Scouts or Al Anon or whatever it may be... if you open your church building to outsiders, then you have to open it up to everybody, and it doesn't matter what you believe about it. That's what the law says."
An Italian archbishop has revealed that he was confined to his home, forced to remain inside his “besieged” residence, when homosexual activists staged a protest there earlier this month, and warned that gay-rights campaigners aim to prosecute all who oppose their agenda.
... Archbishop Crepaldi said that the protest was organized against him because of “the false and very grave accusation of being intolerant and racist.” He said that gay-rights activists are determined to gain approval for same-sex marriage, and toward that end will accuse all opponents of “homophobia.”
The archbishop warned that the goal of the demonstrators was to define “homophobia” as a crime, in order for “those who say publicly--as the Catholic Church has always done--that the real family is only that founded on marriage between a man and a woman, to be declared homophobic, intolerant, racist, and therefore, subject to criminal prosecution.”
A Princeton law professor has predicted increasing persecution of Catholic teaching on sexuality, amid accusations by a New York scholar that such teaching creates a culture of rape.
In a Jan. 17 email to CNA, Professor Robert George of Princeton University warned of rising oppression against those who oppose a redefinition of marriage.
Such persecution includes an increase in "the use of 'anti-discrimination' laws to violate the freedom of religious institutions and religious individuals to honor their beliefs about marriage and sexual morality,” he said.
Scottish adoption charity St Margaret’s Children and Family Care Society has been warned that if it does not start accepting applications from gay couples it will lose its charity status.
St Margaret’s policy states that “We expect applicants to have been married for at least two years”.
Following a complaint by the National Secular Society (NSS), the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) ruled that since same-sex marriage is not currently legal in the UK, the policy was excluding gay couples from their adoption system.
Same-sex marriage opponents warned Minnesotans that religious liberty will not be protected if the Legislators legalize gay marriage this year.
Family First New Zealand has received notification that government's Charities Commission intends to deregister the charity. Why? Family First has a traditional view of marriage being one man and one woman. The commission's investigation began just after NZ’s gay marriage debate started last year.
A Princeton law professor has predicted increasing persecution of Catholic teaching on sexuality, amid accusations by a New York scholar that such teaching creates a culture of rape.
