Same-Sex Marriage – Page 21

NY Farmers Fined for Refusing to Host Same-Sex Wedding

Aug 19, 2014Jerry1 CommentCurrent EventsCurrent Events, Fayetteville, Homosexuality, LGBTQ, Marriage, Same-Sex Marriage, Transgender

A couple who owns a farm in New York has been fined $13,000 for refusing to host a same-sex wedding ceremony two years ago.

The Times Union writes,

“The operators of a well-known agro-tourism farm in Schaghticoke have been fined $13,000 by the state for their refusal almost two years ago on religious grounds to host a same-sex wedding ceremony.

“The Human Rights Commission concluded that Robert and Cynthia Gifford, who operate Liberty Ridge Farm, violated the rights of Jennifer and Melissa McCarthy who had the right to marriage under New York’s 2011 passage of same sex marriage.

“Cynthia Gifford in 2012 told the couple she would have a problem allowing their wedding ceremony on the farm due to her Roman Catholic religious beliefs.”

Here we have private property owners who run a business–in this case, a farm–being fined by the government for declining to open their property up for an event that violates their religious beliefs–a same-sex wedding ceremony.

This is the kind of situation that almost inevitably comes up any time government begins writing special rights and privileges into the law based on sexual-orientation. In this case, the so-called “right” of a same-sex couple to get married is trumping a family’s First Amendment right to freely practice their religion as well as their property rights and any rights they have as business owners to choose with whom and how they engage in commerce.

Even though Arkansas does not recognize same-sex marriage, if cities begin passing so-called “nondiscrimination” ordinances like the one currently up for consideration in Fayetteville, churches, family businesses, business owners, private schools, and others could face criminal prosecution and expensive court battles simply for declining to open their property for same-sex ceremonies or receptions as this family in New York did.

No one should be fined or otherwise penalized for declining to have a part in something they find morally objectionable.

Video: Huckabee, Santorum, Huelskamp on Same-Sex Marriage, Media

Jun 20, 2014JerryMarriageMarriage, Same-Sex Marriage

Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum, and Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-Kansas) all weighed in, yesterday, on same-sex marriage and the way it is covered and portrayed by members of the media.

Gay Activists Employ Conflicting Arguments

Jun 19, 2014Jerry1 CommentHomosexuality, MarriageHomosexuality, Same-Sex Marriage, Transgender

This week on BreakPoint, John Stonestreet with the Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview points out how gay activists are using conflicting arguments when it comes to “LGBT” issues.

Stonestreet writes,

“We’re all familiar with the argument by now: homosexual attraction is an innate characteristic—maybe genetic. Therefore, denying same-sex attracted individuals the ‘right’ to get married is the same as racism.

“But an alternate narrative has appeared on the horizon, and by ‘horizon,’ I mean the cover of a recent TIME Magazine issue, where it’s used to promote the ‘T’ in the acronym ‘LGBT.’ The ‘T,’ of course, stands for ‘transgender,’—those who say their biological sex and their perceived gender don’t match. The mantra here goes, ‘I was born this way, but I want to change. In fact, I have a right to change.’

“So we’re told that the biology of the ‘L,’ the ‘G,’ and the ‘B’ can’t change. But when it comes to ‘T,’ the biology doesn’t matter.

“Confused? Well, you’re not alone.”

Stonestreet goes on to cite how the “I was born this way” argument for homosexuality has given way to arguments based entirely on personal feelings and preferences.

This is significant. You cannot in one breath say a person’s biology controls their feelings (as many homosexuals do) and in the next breath say a person’s feelings trump biology. The two arguments contradict each other.

Complicating this debate further is the fact that science still has not concluded that sexual orientation is genetic, and leading psychology experts have gone on record saying they have seen people successfully change their sexual orientation.

Before we try to build our lives or our public policy on our feelings, let’s consider the words of the prophet Jeremiah: