Minister criminally charged for not performing homosexual marriage

a reply to: MrMaybeNot

Guess you skipped the posts revealing that the ones stirring the pot were the religious ones?

Idaho Pastors’ Victimhood Story Almost Entirely Fabricated By Religious Right

originally posted by: MonkeyFishFrog
a reply to: AnonymousCitizen

**ATTENTION**

Before this becomes a thread of misinformation allow me to set the record straight.

A) This happened back in October 2014
B) The Idaho city where this apparently happened has no record of any complaint filed against The Hitching Post
C) The Hitching Post was operating as a for-profit business meaning it fell under the city's antidiscrimination ordinances BUT the city decided to allow the couple to continue to operate their business as long as they only perform religious marriage ceremonies

It took me all of 5 minutes to find all this. Google before you get taken in by sensationalized headlines like we've been seeing so often lately on ATS.

**End of Unofficial PSA**

This is clearly a hoax and obvious religious right fear mongering first off.

Secondly if it were true it would make me so happy. You reap what you sow after all and right now Christianity is reaping a whole bunch of the hate its been spewing for near a hundred years now.

originally posted by: Bone75
They offer weddings between males and females (aka brides and grooms). That is their service, that has always been their service, and thankfully they will be allowed to continue their service.

What makes you think they will be allowed to continue? Can you post a link?

ACE Hardware offers to sell shovels to men... How far do you think that would go in law?? If they sell shovels, they have to sell them to everyone. If the Hitching Post offers weddings, they have to offer them to everyone who legally qualifies. Discrimination in public accommodation is illegal in this city (Coeur D’Alene).

The following acts are prohibited and shall constitute a misdemeanor:

To deny to or to discriminate against any person because of sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression the full enjoyment of any of the accommodations, advantages, facilities or privileges of any place of public resort, accommodation, assemblage, or amusement.

It's very simple. Whether you judge that as "right" or "wrong" is not relevant. It's the law right now.

originally posted by: Wardaddy454
OK, and like any other store they can refuse business?

Stores can refuse the business of individuals, for being drunk, disorderly, dirty or otherwise obstructive. They cannot refuse the business of someone based on their perceived "group", like black people, Christians, or gay people.

Are you one of those people that decries intolerance while being intolerant?

I am intolerant of bigotry, discrimination and violations of the Constitution. I'm intolerant of rape, murder, child molestation and theft, too. Is there a problem with that?

I think they should ban marriage altogether.

Seriously... 'many' people who marry, end up divorcing. And 'many religious people' end up staying together in a loveless vile union simply because they're too afraid of being judged by the religious minions who will gossip and point their nasty little fingers at those who choose to divorce for reasons other than 'abuse' 'rape' 'fear' and other twisted reasons we won't go into here'.

And then.. there are the polygamists and we really don't want to go there either. So hell ban it all, it's ridiculous how people sue other people based on their ideals and or beliefs like kids going hog wild in ToysRus.

People are abusing their rights by suing and therefore i think SUE should stand for Sockpuppets Unbelievably Effing it all up for everyone else!

It's simple ... If you don't like what someone else does, Walk Away. If you Disagree with them Walk Away. Is that hard or must Society continue watching messed up TV Shows like The Kartrashians to get their 'Politically Correct Information along with their Nightly News Programming.? Hello bang bang, is anyone home???

originally posted by: Kali74
Why do people have no memory retention?

The Knapps have sued the city. Their court case is coming up on the 20th and they're trying to get support... That's probably why it popped up again. Here's a silly little website trying to help them out... Source

The Knapps have filed for a Temporary Restraining Order, claiming that forcing them to make equal accommodations for sodomites is unconstitutional because it violates their religious freedoms.
...
Thus Donald and Lynn Knapp sued the city and said what they were trying to do was violate their Constitutional Right (the first right listed in the Bill of Rights) to free speech.
...
Thus the question before the godless, post-Christian, authoritarian federal court is can the city of Coeur D’Alene under the Constitution of the United States force a for-profit business to provide services to homosexuals?

And the answer is YES. The 14th amendment is very clear.

originally posted by: Awolscout
This is clearly a hoax and obvious religious right fear mongering first off.

I don't know where the OP got the title, but it IS a LIE. The Hitching Post ministers have NOT been charged OR sued. In fact, THEY have sued Coeur d’Alene.

Hitching Post Sues Coeur d’Alene

I have reported this thread as false information.

In fact, the city has told them that they don't have to perform same sex marriages! It was settled in the LAST (50 page) thread on this story...

Case Closed!

As has been cleared up by many others this is an old story. They had a for profit marriage business that did ceremonies both civil or from other religions. Try to claim you are X religion but perform ceremonies that have no region involved or other religions in never going to cut it. These sorts o things are bound to happen just as they did when the religious right fought against interracial marriage. They will end up looking the same way when history looks back at them.

originally posted by: Benevolent Heretic
...If I found out that the local ACE Hardware store wouldn't sell me a shovel because I'm a woman, I'd fight for my legal rights as a citizen of my state....

If I found out my wife was trying to buy a shovel at the local hardware store I would not want them selling her one either.


It probably means I have a one way trip to the bottom of the back yard.

originally posted by: Benevolent Heretic

originally posted by: Awolscout
This is clearly a hoax and obvious religious right fear mongering first off.

I don't know where the OP got the title, but it IS a LIE. The Hitching Post ministers have NOT been charged OR sued. In fact, THEY have sued Coeur d’Alene.

Hitching Post Sues Coeur d’Alene

I have reported this thread as false information.

In fact, the city has told them that they don't have to perform same sex marriages! It was settled in the LAST (50 page) thread on this story...

Case Closed!

The city caved under pressure? That sucks.

Last I read they had reorganized as a non-profit religious organization, which was perfectly legal.

What a mess. The city has created a very messy situation by not sticking to law. There is no legal reason for an exemption.

Someone needs to sue the city for not following state law. I can only hope the owners get SLAMMED for pressing this.

originally posted by: Annee
The city caved under pressure?

No. The Hitching Post changed their business to a religious non-profit business. Non-profits are exempt, which is fine with me.

originally posted by: Benevolent Heretic

originally posted by: Annee
The city caved under pressure?

No. The Hitching Post changed their business to a religious non-profit business. Non-profits are exempt, which is fine with me.

That's what I thought. They can still do weddings, but can only accept donations, because now they are basically a church.

Sounds to me money/profit trumps God ----- almost like Chick-Fil-A.

They want the money.

a reply to: MonkeyFishFrog

Eventually i think people may catch on.. but that would mean research before a reaction that people have been waiting for

originally posted by: Annee
Sounds to me money/profit trumps God ----- almost like Chick-Fil-A.

They want the money.

Exactly. I think it's pretty well understood that most religious people who refuse to serve gays aren't concerned about "practicing their religion" or "pleasing their god", they're concerned about being able to legally discriminate against people they don't approve of, while still raking in the dough and making a show of righteous indignation by suing the city...

I mean... they call gay people "sodomites". What do we expect?

a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

Church!

it's hiding behind "Freedom to discriminate' without being called out on it because they can hide behind their religion and say "hate the sin, not the sinner"

a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

Oh good grief. I think people should be required to pass a civics test before getting onto the internet or stepping out their front door.

a reply to: Kali74

Wait till you read the post after that! LOL!