A 56-year old Pastor at the Christian Proctor Church in Vermont named Paul Horner , has been sentenced to one year in federal prison over his refusal to marry a gay couple.
As the United States of America legalizes same sex marriage, strict measures are being put in place to ensure adherence to the law. A 56-year old pastor at the Christian Proctor Church in Vermont named Paul Horner has bagged a one year jail term after he declined to join the hands of a gay couple in marriage at his church. This has been regarded as a crime in the country against the the Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision ruling that states in the U.S must allow gay-marriage.
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.”
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 court proceeding has attracted so much controversies as the law has been accused of militating against the freedom of religion as well as the values of the religion as enshrined in the American constitution.
“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!” Steve Shand, president of the Vermont Family Research Committee, argued.