A pastor at the Christian Proctor Church in Vermont, USA, has been
sentenced to one year in federal prison after refusing to marry gay
couples.
Still on the issue of Gay marriage, more and more Christians take a stand against same sex marriage, as they refuse to involved in anyway.
According to NBC, a pastor at the Christian Proctor Church in Vermont, USA, has been sentenced to one year in federal prison after refusing to marry gay couples.
This comes shortly after the Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision ruling that states must allow gay-marriage.
According to the criminal investigation, the Christian Proctor Church
is registered with the state as a “religious corporation” limited to
performing “one-man-one-woman marriages as defined by the Holy Bible.”
But
the church is also registered as a for-profit business and city
officials said that means the owners must comply with state and federal
regulations.
The Christian Pastor, 56-year-old Paul Horner, had his lawyer speak to reporters on his behalf.
The Christian Pastor, 56-year-old Paul Horner, had his lawyer speak to reporters on his behalf.
“We are currently disputing the guilty verdict and I am confident my client will be a free man here shortly,” said attorney Tom Downey. “Horner was just using his best judgement according to his rights and religious freedom in this country.”
The Honorable Myron Danus handed down the harsh sentence.
“Religious freedom goes both ways, Mr. Horner,” Danus
told a packed courtroom. “It is not your place to deny individuals the
same rights that everyone else has, rights that were passed down and
agreed upon in a court of law, the ultimate court, the Supreme Court. It is not your decision whether or not you agree with the law but more importantly that you follow it and enforce it.”
Steve Shand, president of the Vermont Family Research Committee, said it is “open season on Americans who refuse to bow to the government’s redefinition of marriage.”
“Homosexuals are gay,” Shand told reporters. “Why should Christian ministers be forced to perform and celebrate any marriage that conflicts with their beliefs? It’s a slippery slope my friend. Pretty soon these same pastors will be forced to wed animals or kitchen appliances. This is not my America!”
Gwen Hawkins who is president of the LGBT Pride Center in Vermont, said she is happy with the guilty verdict.
Steve Shand, president of the Vermont Family Research Committee, said it is “open season on Americans who refuse to bow to the government’s redefinition of marriage.”
“Homosexuals are gay,” Shand told reporters. “Why should Christian ministers be forced to perform and celebrate any marriage that conflicts with their beliefs? It’s a slippery slope my friend. Pretty soon these same pastors will be forced to wed animals or kitchen appliances. This is not my America!”
Gwen Hawkins who is president of the LGBT Pride Center in Vermont, said she is happy with the guilty verdict.
“We just want the same rights as everyone else and this guilty verdict sets a great precedent,” Hawkins said.
“These
fanatical Christians base their life on one verse in the Bible but they
seem to forget the other 99% of the verses in the book. For example,
why can’t we stone to death Bristol Palin for having a baby out of wedlock? And what about her mother, Sarah Palin,
breaking the rules of Corinthians 14:34 which clearly state that as a
woman, she is not allowed to teach or to assume authority over a man;
she must be quiet. But no, they like to pick the one verse in the Bible
about gay people and build their camp around it.”
Gwen Hawkins may have a point, as we sin everyday but crucify gay folks.
As the bible says, no sin is bigger than the other.
What do you think?
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