4 Things You Need to Know About the “Hitching Post” Case

Religious Freedom,

We have written recently about two ministers (Mr. and Mrs. Knapp)  in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, who face the prospect of fines and jail time for failing to permit a same-sex wedding at their wedding chapel.

Same-sex marriage became legal in Idaho a few weeks ago when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal over a lower court ruling striking the state’s marriage laws. According to attorneys from Alliance Defending Freedom–who is representing the ministers–city officials told the pair multiple times that their wedding chapel would be required to perform same-sex weddings. The ministers filed suit against the city. Now the city is backing off, saying that because the wedding chapel is a nonprofit entity, they won’t be required to perform same-sex weddings after all.

There’s just one problem, ADF writes: The Hitching Post Wedding Chapel is not non-profit. It is a for-profit chapel. In fact, ADF says there are four things that need to be set straight about this case concerning religious liberty:

  1. The Hitching Post is a for-profit corporation, and it always has been.
  2. The city, on at least three separate occasions, made clear that because the Hitching Post is a for-profit company the Knapps would be in violation of the law and subject to criminal prosecution and punishment if they declined to perform same-sex marriages.
  3. The lawsuit is not premature.
  4. Idaho’s religious freedom laws should protect the ministers and their business.

This is a critical case for religious liberty in America. The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling in the Hobby Lobby case makes it clear that business owners do not forfeit religious liberty by entering the marketplace. In America, you are not only free to engage in business, but to do so in a manor consistent with your deeply-held convictions.

To read ADF’s full article “setting the record straight” on the situation in Coeur d’Alene, click here.

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Houston Mayor Receives 500+ Bibles, Backs Off Churches

Religious Freedom,

After two weeks of controversy, the Mayor of Houston has withdrawn subpoenas of church sermons from local pastors.

The mayor’s office initially subpoenaed all pastoral communications, sermons, and similar documents related to homosexuality, the city’s mayor, and the city’s controversial “nondiscrimination” ordinance. After receiving push-back, the city said it no longer wanted pastors’ sermons; instead it would settle for their “speeches.” Needless to say, that did very little to end the controversy.

Yesterday, Mayor Parker released a statement announcing she is directing her legal team to withdraw its subpoenas against the pastors.

When the subpoenas first came to light, leaders and ministers from across the country had different ideas on ways pastors in Houston could peacefully protest the city’s actions. John Piper suggested pastors invite the mayor to church for a sermon on biblical sexuality. Mike Huckabee, Glenn Beck, Sen. Ted Cruz, and Eric Metaxas all gained attention, however, for suggesting Christians politely send the mayor’s office a copy of the Bible and pastors send a copy of a sermon. Local news outlets are reporting the mayor’s office received between 500 and 1,000 Bibles from Americans concerned by the city’s actions.

We are glad the City of Houston is withdrawing its subpoenas of the sermons and pastoral communications, but it’s troubling the withdrawal took so long and came only after members of the public rallied and the city’s rather meaningless attempts to change the wording of the subpoenas failed.

We will continue to monitor the situation in Houston for any similar developments in the future.

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Some Las Vegas Chapels Declining to Perform Same-Sex Weddings

Religious Freedom, , ,

According to the LA Times, some wedding chapels in Las Vegas are declining to perform same-sex weddings.

Same-sex marriage became legal by default in Nevada earlier this month, when the U.S. Supreme Court opted not to review a lower court’s ruling that struck the state’s marriage laws. Now some wedding chapel owners are declining to marry same-sex couples due to the owners’ religious convictions about marriage.

This is significant, because Nevada has a “public accommodation” law mandating “full and equal enjoyment” of public services regardless of sexual-orientation. Similar laws have been used against florists, bakers, and photographers who have declined to participate in same-sex weddings in other states. Because of this law, some are alleging that it is actually illegal for a wedding chapel owner in Nevada to turn away a same-sex couple.

We have written before about how these types of “nondiscrimination” laws carry unintended consequences. Proponents say the laws are necessary to prevent someone from being fired or denied service at a restaurant due to sexual-orientation. In reality, however, these so-called “nondiscrimination” statutes are used to force people of faith to participate in same-sex weddings, receptions, and similar ceremonies they find objectionable.

(more…)

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