Have you all seen the latest comercials in support for lesbian and sodomite marrige?..excuse me while I puke...
Ok, I am back now.
If so, I am wondering..can the governing authorities, at some point,
FORCE christian Pastors to marry lesbians and sodomites, under the threat of arrest and prosecution?
I don't think I need to be a lawyer to answer this one.
The answer is yes.
because the laws, whatever they are today, can be changed in the future.
I doubt that anytime soon the primary punishment will be arrest, rather monetary/privilidge punishements...loss of tax privilidges, etc.
I don't see that happening soon, since churches are generally seen as fairly independent, and a pastor today can refuse to marry anyone, even for not being christians...It's his choice.
Can the govt force a RC priest to report a man who comes and confesses a sin of child molesting, or some other pastor who is counseling someone for such a sin?
Pastors - would you report such an individual- or do you believe your confidentially is more important?
Exactly. First step will be for the church to lose tax-exemption status. That will be enough to make many "churches" tow the line. But eventually it'll probably come down to imprisonment.
Since it was illegal for a Christian retreat center to deny a same sex couple a place to have their wedding, I see it being illegal for pastors to deny marrying same sex couples coming very soon.
Sooner than we think.
Tell you what..I am in my late 50's right now, and i am GLAD..because if I were a teenager right now I dont think I would
want to live 60 or 7o years in the hell hole that this country is becoming.
I heard the case being made FOR same sex marriage as being distinct from "HOLY MATRIMONY", that those fighting for SSM only wish for a legal recognition of said relationships.
That being said, I am just as opposed to this "new marriage" as are you, and I am a bit dubious about what is really wanted by those in support of SSM.
I do not think lawmakers or SCOTUS could in anyway force pastors to perform said marriages due to the "establishment clause".
Although I must also add, nothing surprises me anymore.
I've got 10 years on ya. Don't know how long I have left, but I do know it isn't as long as it has been before I'm called home. :saint:
Therefore, concern for myself isn't nearly as much as it is for my great nieces and nephews. And, the little ones I see in church every Sunday. Bright eyes filled with laughter. Grumpy ones ready for a nap. Shy ones hiding behind mama's skirt.
What will the world be like for them, if it's still standing, in just 20 years? :confused:
Back to the OP.
I ain't no cotton picking barrister giving out legal opinions or a quartz crystal gazer. You've been warned.
The changes need to muzzle pastors won't happen overnight. Incremental progressive steps are already being put into place, piece by piece. Given a little time and a warm environment a little yeast leavens the whole loaf. When the framework is completed, probably by the Supreme Court, churches will lose tax exempt status.
This will be a gradual process.. A little amendment tucked into a highway funding bill targeting a specific group. No big deal for everyone else, since "I'm not one of them". An ACLU confrontation with a little backwater town extremist sect. That's OK, they deserve what they get.
If you know anything about making yeast breads, you know what happens next. The first rise is punched down. Religious organizations lose tax exempt status. Then the dough is molded into the shape desired by the baker. Often twisted, turned and braided. Just for good measure, the top of the loaf is slashed with a sharp knife.
The yeast has done it's job. The framework is in place as the pan slides into a hot oven. Religious freedom died at 350 degrees for 1 hour. :tear:
I would just have to rot in jail, then-----and then wonder why there are no more pastors than just a few of us who are IN jail for the same thing!!:thumbs::thumbs: