http://christiannews.net/2013/03/27/family-groups-warn-of-explosive-consequences-if-high-court-affirms-homosexual-marriage/
Family Groups Warn of ‘Explosive’ Consequences if High Court Affirms Homosexual ‘Marriage’
As the Supreme Court heard oral argument yesterday in the case of Hollingsworth v. Perry, otherwise known as the California’s Proposition 8 challenge, and will hear argument today in United States v. Windsor, otherwise known as the effort to overturn the federal Defense of Marriage Act, pro-family groups across the nation are expressing concern over the potential ramifications for the country if the Supreme Court rules in favor of homosexual “marriage.”
“This would be a devastating setback for our country,” Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth About Homosexuality told Christian News Network. “This would be the Roe v. Wade of the homosexual issue. … This could really create a crisis for our country.”
“The ramifications for all of society would be absolutely explosive,” agreed attorney Stephen Crampton of the Christian legal group Liberty Counsel. “I think we have not taken adequate stock of what we’re playing with here. This is a radioactive kind of issue.”
The men explained that most Christians do not realize that the consequences would reach much farther than just than the issue of marriage, and would essentially affect every area of society.
“They will leave no stone unturned into trying to turn society into a monolith that is supporting, and in effect, worshipping at the altar of homosexuality,” Crampton concurred.
The Affect on Religious-Owned Businesses
“The business world — the small businesses: wedding cake bakeries, photographers and bed and breakfasts [will be] … forced to accommodate behaviors with which they disagree,” LaBarbera said.
However, he asserted that not only will marriage-themed businesses be forced to accommodate homosexuality, but every type of business across America.
Crampton said that businesses are already required to cover homosexual behavior under Obamacare.
“Don’t be deceived; part and parcel of the idea of forcing individuals and businesses to obtain every expensive government-created insurance for every man, woman and child in America that provides free so-called reproductive health care — that is the righ to kill your child in the womb, also provides free or very low cost coverage for homosexuals who engage in extraordinarily risky behavior,” he stated. “[And under the law], we as the American people must finance the cost of their misbehavior, and pay for their treatment. That’s no accident.”
“Of course, if you’re an employer and you have a homosexual employee that is ‘married’ to his partner, [as a result of the possible ruling,] you will have no right to deny subsidizing that relationship unless you were to deny all employees benefits because you have to treat all married couples the same,” LaBarbera added.
The men noted that non-discrimination laws are already being used across the country to force business owners to facilitate behaviors that violate their faith and conscience. LaBarbera cited an example from his home state of Illinois.
“[R]ight after the civil unions law was passed, two homosexuals sued. They declared that their civil union ceremony must be held at a private bed and breakfast owned by a Christian family, and [the owners] didn’t want to celebrate a homosexual civil union on their property,” he explained. “And yet, they’re now in litigation. They’re in the process of fighting for their right to merely live by their own Christian beliefs and that’s what it comes down to. And so, homosexual ‘marriage’ becomes a powerful too.”
Christian News Network has reported on a number of similar cases, such as the story of a photographer in New Mexico that was forced to pay $700 in fines for declining to shoot a same-sex commitment service, and the Vermont bed and breakfast owners who settled a lawsuit with two lesbians who were told by an employee that they could not hold their commitment service on the property.
A Kentucky t-shirt screening company was also recently punished for declining to complete a work order involving t-shirts that were to be worn at a local homosexual pride parade. One trolley driver in Maryland got out of the marriage business altogether because of his refusal to violate his faith. Bakers and florists are also appearing in the news as being investigated by the government for declining to provide services for homosexual “weddings.”
Crampton said that not only will more of these types of situations pop up, but the government may become more active in cracking down on violations.
“Not only will they not tolerate religious folks saying no to homosexuals, not only will they find or run out of business or force to bow the knee the little businesses [who refuse to accommodate the homosexual lifestyle, they will seek them out and target them," he stated.
The Affect on Education
The men also noted that another aspect of society that will be affected by the ruling will be the educational system.
"In our public schools, there will be a requirement -- with no exceptions -- that same-sex relationships will be not only taught as equal, but in many respects superior to opposite sex relationships," Crampton said, noting that children will be indoctrinated to accept the homosexual lifestyle.
As previously reported, the Chicago Board of Education recently approved a new sex ed policy, that mandates that beginning in kindergarten, children will learn about homosexuality and gender identity.
Additionally, a couple in Massachusetts produced a thirty-second advertisement last year that warned that schools will be affected by the legalization of same-sex "marriage" as their young son brought home a book that showed two men kissing on the cover.
“If [it] is approved, same-sex marriage could be taught in local … schools, just as it was in Massachusetts,” the commercial warned. “Don’t make the same mistake and think that gay marriage won’t affect you.”
LaBarbera advised that not only will the children be affected, but their teachers as well.
“You could have the case of the little boy who asked the teacher, ‘Mrs. Smith, could I marry a man someday?’ And she would have to say yes, because under the law, the answer [would be] true,” LaBarbera stated.
When asked if Christian teachers may be forced to promote homosexuality or give up their employment, Crampton said that it was a very real possibility.
“The teachers, many of whom who have made great personal sacrifices in order to instruct our children and set themselves out there as role models in a Godly fashion will now be faced with that choice of either clinging to you faith and your convictions — in which case you’ll have to leave the public school system — or bow the knee to the homosexual agenda in order to save your job,” he asserted. “It will be a stark either/or.”
He shared a story about a situation that he believes will parallel in the public school system.
“Many years ago, when Massachusetts started their recognition of same-sex marriage, we represented some county clerks who had been tasked with the part of their jobs of filling out and granting marriage certificates and [providing] application forms,” Crampton explained. “When they were presented with … new forms that required ‘spouse one,’ ‘spouse two’ rather than husband and wife, they refused as a matter of religious conviction to fill out those forms.”
“They were told that they had no right to challenge the law. Either they had to do their duty or they had to resign,” he continued. “They ended up resigning.”
“So, the school teachers of tomorrow will end up facing the same stark choice as a result of rulings that [may] be recognized regarding same-sex ‘marriage,’” Crampton said.
The Affect on Churches and Dissenting Christians
However, if the Supreme Court decides to affirm homosexual “marriage” as a right, the men believe that not only will businesses and schools be affected, but churches as well, along with any Christian who dares to publicly declare God’s word about the matter.
“I think we need to understand that we have already seen our rights abridged in this area,” LaBarbera said. “It’s the criminalization of Christianity at work.”
“Once religious freedom goes, all other freedoms will fall like dominoes as well,” Crampton said. “Once you decimate that cornerstone, there is no foundation for any others.”
“The first affect will be, church is fine within the four walls, but don’t you dare attempt to introduce it into the political realm or even on the public streets,” he stated. “And then, in short order, there will be the requirement that even the most conservative churches must recognize and officiate over same-sex ‘marriage’ ceremonies. I think that is an inevitable result.”
LaBarbera agreed.
“You better believe pastors will feel the brunt of it,” he said. “If you have a pastor who preaches solidly the Biblical truth that homosexuality is a sin, [and] that you can overcome through Christ, that pastor could be targeted.”
Attorney Stephen Crampton of Liberty Counsel
“We had to litigate a case back in 2003 in Philadelphia, where a new anti-harassment code that was put in place that prohibited students from saying that homosexuality is a sin,” Crampton explained. “The court thankfully … wrote the opinion in our favor, but the school officials and the lower court, they all though that we have got to just [keep silent].”
LaBarbera likewise shared an instance where Christian speech about homosexuality was silenced.
“I remember an African pastor in New York City who had a Biblical billboard about homosexuality,” he recounted. “I think he used the verse from Leviticus, and the city council forced him to take that billboard down.”
LaBarbera said that he believes that, if the Supreme Court affirms the homosexual lifestyle as being valid, society will in essence cast out Christians as being evil and call homosexuality good.
“[I]f we lose this decision in the Supreme Court, it will only embolden all those activists, and they will say, ‘We are part of the American mainstream, and you homophobic, hateful, bigoted Christians — you are on the outs, and you should be discriminated against. … It’s Isaiah 5:20, good is evil and evil is good.”
‘The Long View’
While the men were deeply concerned about the potential ramifications of the ruling, which will be issued in June, they stated that they were not utterly discouraged.
“We have to have the long view and say, ‘We’ll fight for the truth no matter what. The truth doesn’t change and we will continue to stand for it,’” LaBarbera asserted. “Just like Roe v. Wade did not end the debate over abortion, if the decision goes the wrong way or even partially in the wrong way, and the Supreme Court moves in any way to normalize homosexuality, we must keep the long view … even if we become the minority.”
Crampton said that he hoped that the individual states would stand up against the federal government and employ the Lesser Magistrate Doctrine.
“I hope the states as units will rise up and say, ‘I’m sorry. We refuse to recognize that. You want to send the reserves in? Bring them on. But we’re not just going to give up without a fight,’” he declared. “It’s not something that you can accurately lay out and ascertain precisely how its going to go, but I think there is a very real element of, ‘We’ve had enough. This far and no further.’”
LaBarbera agreed.
“I believe the only hope for our country is the Fifth Amendment and states exercising their rights,” he said. “If there’s an overreach by the Supreme Court in this area, the states are going to have to step up and say, ‘No, we are going to affirm our values. We’re not all ruled by these nine men and women in the Supreme Court.’”
Crampton said, however, that no matter what happens, Christians must remember that the issue of homosexuality goes much deeper.
“At the end of the day, homosexual ‘rights’ are a full assault on the God who made heaven and earth,” Crampton said. “The ultimate battle here is about God and Christians who stand for what the Bible has decreed to be unequivocally for all time, all peoples and all races.”
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