NY Gay Marriage Legislation Fails to Protect Christian Conscience

gaymarriageruling
Share:

Much has been made of the fact that an amendment guaranteeing religious freedom was included in New York’s recently-passed same-sex “marriage” law. Senators Mark Grisanti (R-Buffalo) and Stephen Saland (R-Poughkeepsie) touted this effort, saying it was instrumental to securing their support for the legislation.

The problem for people of faith, however, is that the language is sorely lacking. The bill claims to protect pastors from having to perform same-sex ceremonies and churches from having to host gay weddings or receptions, but these protections were already present under existing constitutional protections. The “Marriage Equality Act” failed to include religious freedoms protections for individuals and non-religious affiliated organizations.

For licensed Christian counselors, not directly affiliated with a church, a day may come when the state may refuse licensure to those who practice reparative or ex-gay therapy. Wedding photographers and caterers will similarly find no protection. Refusal to photograph or serve a gay nuptial and people with strong convictions concerning the authentic definition of marriage will find themselves vulnerable to a lawsuit.

Soon town clerks and justices will also be required to issue gay “marriage” licenses. New York City Mayor Bloomberg announced that city clerks’ offices would be open throughout the city on Sunday (July 24)—the first day that New York’s new same-sex “marriage” law takes effect. The Big Apple won’t be the only city making special accommodations for gay nuptials. Albany, Binghamton, Rochester and many others have announced similar intentions. Not all are excited about this new law though.

Laura L. Fotusky, Town Clerk in Barker, may be the first New York state clerk to actually resign, rather than place her name on a same-sex “marriage” license. In a resignation letter presented to the Barker Town Board on July 11, Fotusky presented the following letter of resignation:

“To the Town of Barker Board, Supervisor Dilworth, Attorney Lewis and the Town Residents,

“I have been in contact with Jason McGuire from New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms, our Town Attorney, Richard Lewis and a constitutional lawyer regarding the Marriage Equality Act that was passed June 24, 2011. There was no protection provided in the legislation for town clerks who are unable to sign these marriage licenses due to personal religious convictions, even though our U.S. Constitution supports freedom of religion.

“I believe that there is a higher law than the law of the land. It is the law of God in the Bible. In Acts 5:29, it states, ‘We ought to obey God rather than men.’

“The Bible clearly teaches that God created marriage between male and female as a divine gift that preserves families and cultures. Since I love and follow Him, I cannot put my signature on something that is against God. Deuteronomy 10:12 says, ‘…What does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good.’

“I would be compromising my moral conscience if I participated in the licensing procedure. Therefore, I will be resigning as of July 21. I wanted you to know my position as I understand the marriage law goes into effect on July 24.

“It has been a pleasure and privilege to serve the Town as Barker Town Clerk.”

Rev. Jason J. McGuire is the executive director of New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms.

+ posts
Share:

Related topics:

See an error in this article?

Send us a correction

To contact us or to submit an article

Click and play our featured shows

Promise Keepers Reaching a New Generation for Jesus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5Zl64DgqaM Many Americans want to learn how to prevent college students from joining in the ongoing anti-Israel protests. The new leader of Promise Keepers believes they can again reach young men in great numbers by returning the ministry to its roots. Recently, the...

Joseph Z: The Sinister Scheme Behind Avoiding Death

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enNKUyw9gts&t=1940s Everywhere we go, we see the narrative that aging is a problem. However, could there be a demonic influence behind the obsession with immortality? In a recent livestream message, Joseph Z discussed the issue with society’s complete obsession with...

What Makes a Ministry Successful?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87zSp-evtKs The Bible has a lot of things to say when it comes to success, and it all points to one thing: humility before the Lord. Commit your work to the Lord, delight yourself in the Lord, keep God’s commandments,...

The Prophetic Connection Between Trump, Daniels and the Kentucky Derby

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn3HK7BlewU Is there a fascinating prophetic connection between Donald Trump, Stormy Daniels and the Kentucky Derby? In a shocking prophetic word, Amanda Grace discussed how an unlikely connection between the Trump trial, Stormy Daniels’ testimony and the winning horse of...

The Spiritual Secret to a Sound Mind

During Mental Health Awareness month, many people may be wondering what more they can possibly do to experience peace of mind. All of us struggle with stress, anxiety and worries. However, there’s a spiritual secret that has been proven to...

Can God Use Ministers Living in Sin?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgmRYXN15mY&t=687s Is it possible for ministers who have fallen into sin to truly be used for healing, deliverance and the spreading of the gospel? In one of his latest livestreams, Vlad Savchuk answered this very question about how God continues...

1 2 3 4 5 6 97 98 99 100
Scroll to Top