How long before Church sued for refusing homosexual marriage?

[Mea_Culpa]

Now that California has declared homosexual marriage legal and valid, how long before the Church is sued for discrimination for refusing to let homosexuals be married in the church? What if the government says the Church must perform homosexual marriages or face fines, penalties, even jail time for priests who refuse?

Marriage is a sacrament. Sodomy is a sin. To equate the two is ridiculous.

 

[Will_B]

Now that California has declared homosexual marriage legal and valid, how long before the Church is sued for discrimination for refusing to let homosexuals be married in the church? What if the government says the Church must perform homosexual marriages or face fines, penalties, even jail time for priests who refuse?

Marriage is a sacrament. Sodomy is a sin. To equate the two is ridiculous.

To the best of my knowledge, the Church is protected by our US constitution… The State can not establish religion.

First Amendment: addresses the rights of freedom of religion (prohibiting Congressional establishment of a religion over another religion through Law and protecting the right to free exercise of religion), freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and freedom of petition.

Blessing,

Will B.

 

[sidonius]

The Church will probably not be sued for this reason, but the Church will be sued for not hiring parochial school teachers who marry someone of the same sex. Like the Amazing Crisswell, I predict that the first of such suits will fail, but within ten years such suits will succeed.

 

[RWMorris]

The Church will probably not be sued for this reason, but the Church will be sued for not hiring parochial school teachers who marry someone of the same sex. Like the Amazing Crisswell, I predict that the first of such suits will fail, but within ten years such suits will succeed.

And their goal will not be equal opportunity, but the infiltration of Christian education and ultimately, its destruction.

 

[Oscarthecat]

And their goal will not be equal opportunity, but the infiltration of Christian education and ultimately, its destruction.

Wouldn’t privately funded parochial schools be protected in the same way as a parish?

 

[BillP]

About half an hour after she’s sued for not permitting divorced people who haven’t received an annulment to marry.

 

[peregrinus_WA]

To the best of my knowledge, the Church is protected by our US constitution… The State can not establish religion.

First Amendment: addresses the rights of freedom of religion (prohibiting Congressional establishment of a religion over another religion through Law and protecting the right to free exercise of religion), freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and freedom of petition.

Blessing,

Will B.

Then how come there has been a pervasive eroding of that right. Almost every day you here about laws and/or judicial actions restricting religion. The restrictions eliminate the “free exercise” of religion. In fact, in some cases, Christianity is now criminalized.

 

[ComputerGeek25]

Then how come there has been a pervasive eroding of that right. Almost every day you here about laws and/or judicial actions restricting religion. The restrictions eliminate the “free exercise” of religion. In fact, in some cases, Christianity is now criminalized.

Depends how good your lawyer is and how gullible the judge is

 

[peregrinus_WA]

Depends how good your lawyer is and how gullible the judge is

Gullibility is not an issue for a certain segment of the judiciary. They are openly hostile to religion in general and Christianity (especially Catholicism) in particular.

 

[ComputerGeek25]

Gullibility is not an issue for a certain segment of the judiciary. They are openly hostile to religion in general and Christianity (especially Catholicism) in particular.

That’s true as well…

My guess is that some lawyers and judges read too much into the First Amendment. They assume that “Freedom of Religion” means “Freedon from Religion”

 

[txstm]

I fear the OP is correct. The first test balloons will probably not be successful, but the cost of defending those cases will be astronomical. Eventually, one of the U.S. Courts of Appeal will give a sympathetic ear to a homosexual couple whose ‘rights’ were ‘violated’. Never mind there is no Constitutional right to marry in the first place, the Court (most likely the 9th Judicial District in California, the most overturned Court of all the U.S. Appeals Courts) will somehow divine such a right out of thin air. It will take several years, but the devil is patient.

 

[mangy_dog]

Now that California has declared homosexual marriage legal and valid, how long before the Church is sued for discrimination for refusing to let homosexuals be married in the church? What if the government says the Church must perform homosexual marriages or face fines, penalties, even jail time for priests who refuse?

Marriage is a sacrament. Sodomy is a sin. To equate the two is ridiculous.

Often times we read about prophecies and how they talk about the persecution of christians.

If the State of California were to do that - we would be yet another nation to jump on the band-wagon of persecution of christians.

Wouldn’t that be something to see.

Crux sacra sit mihi lux, nunquam draco sit mihi dux.

 

[Fitswimmer]

The Church will probably not be sued for this reason, but the Church will be sued for not hiring parochial school teachers who marry someone of the same sex. Like the Amazing Crisswell, I predict that the first of such suits will fail, but within ten years such suits will succeed.

Right after college, I taught for 2 years in a Catholic school. My contract had a morals clause. I could not do anything that would reflect poorly on the school or on the Church, nor could I make any public declaration or demonstration of any position contrary to Church teaching. Violations of that clause would be grounds for immediate dismissal. If I had issues with that morals clause, I was free to seek employment elsewhere.

I think the schools would be safe if the have the teachers sign a similar agreement.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Now that California has declared homosexual marriage legal and valid, how long before the Church is sued for discrimination for refusing to let homosexuals be married in the church? What if the government says the Church must perform homosexual marriages or face fines, penalties, even jail time for priests who refuse?

Marriage is a sacrament. Sodomy is a sin. To equate the two is ridiculous.

The Church cannot be required by civil law to celebrate any particular Sacrament in any particular circumstance.

 

[Fitswimmer]

Then how come there has been a pervasive eroding of that right. Almost every day you here about laws and/or judicial actions restricting religion. The restrictions eliminate the “free exercise” of religion. In fact, in some cases, Christianity is now criminalized.

Could you provide some evidence of the criminalization of Christianity? I must have missed those cases…

As the majority faith in the United States, I think it is a tad arrogant to call ourselves victims. We’ve never had a President that wasn’t a Christian, we don’t have to work on our Sabbath, nobody can tell us that we can’t go to Church, nobody can stop us from preaching our faith on the streetcorners if it makes us happy. We have religious schools, we have religious newspapers, magazines and internet forums. Christmas is recognized by the entire nation-companies close, schools close, public offices are closed. The only reason Easter isn’t a named national holiday is because it’s already a Sunday, and all those places are already closed. Every political official says “God Bless America” after every speech and we all know which God they’re talking about.

You want to see real religious discrimination? Try China, Asia or the Middle East. Christians who live in those countries would give anything for the freedoms we have and we insult their struggles by claiming victimhood here.

 

[SirOscar]

You want to see real religious discrimination? Try China, Asia or the Middle East. Christians who live in those countries would give anything for the freedoms we have and we insult their struggles by claiming victimhood here.

This is very true indeed. We have so many freedoms in America, that we take for granted.

We are not victimized or persecuted for practicing our religion. There is however a start of Christian discrimination in our society.

There is a small minority of people who do not want to practice religion, and feel their rights to just that are infringed upon, and sue, sue, sue.

 

[Newbie2]

I don’t think the Church will ever be successfully sued for refusing same-sex “Marriage” if there is civil same-sex “marriage” available.

The sacrament isn’t available to people of the same sex, just like the sacrament of Holy Orders isn’t available to certain people (women and those men who aren’t suited for it).

Someday, though, the RCC and other Christian denominations may and probably will be under (more) serious assault, the government trying to interfere with our practice of religion.

 

[mangy_dog]

This is very true indeed. We have so many freedoms in America, that we take for granted.

We are not victimized or persecuted for practicing our religion. There is however a start of Christian discrimination in our society.

There is a small minority of people who do not want to practice religion, and feel their rights to just that are infringed upon, and sue, sue, sue.

I don’t think we’ll ever reach the “overt” religious discrimination and persecution of places like China and other countries but, I do think that the “law” will be the instrument of persecution in many religious persecution cases.

Since we are a nation of laws - I believe the law will be used and abused (as is the case already) to silence or quash the religious concience as it pertains to same-sex marriages and other deteriorating moral and ethical issues.

Gospa Mir.

 

[KathleenElsie]

Wouldn’t privately funded parochial schools be protected in the same way as a parish?

I think that the only way to protect a parish school is to make it truly a parish school. Children from the parish and funds from the parish only. The second you allow non-parish children and public money into the mix you loose the religion exemption. I might be wrong but this has proven to be the case in healthcare and education for many years.

 

[KathleenElsie]

I don’t think the Church will ever be successfully sued for refusing same-sex “Marriage” if there is civil same-sex “marriage” available.

The sacrament isn’t available to people of the same sex, just like the sacrament of Holy Orders isn’t available to certain people (women and those men who aren’t suited for it).

Someday, though, the RCC and other Christian denominations may and probably will be under (more) serious assault, the government trying to interfere with our practice of religion.

Yet there have been successful legal actions because a photographer refused an assignment offered for a same-sex commitment party. Another situation was when a same-sex couple wanted to use a building owned by a church for their celebration. A woman that signed a contract to abide with the firmly held sexual beliefs of the school she was teaching at successfully took them to court for discrimination. A priest in Europe won when the Bishop fired him for religious teaching reasons. So I believe the time is already here for this to happen. It won’t take long.