WEDDING CAKE DISCRIMINATION
Backers of religious beliefs, gay rights clash in court case
DENVER (AP) β A suburban Denver baker who wouldn’t make a wedding cake for a gay couple has told the Colorado Court of Appeals that he shouldn’t be forced to change course because doing so would violate his religious beliefs.
Attorneys for the gay couple countered Tuesday that religious exemptions for businesses would facilitate future discrimination.
The arguments came in the 2012 case that underscores how tensions between religious-freedom advocates and gay-rights supporters are likely to become more heated in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling last month legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide.
A ruling will be issued later.
Baker Jack Phillips, owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop in Lakewood, could face fines if he loses and doesn’t bake cakes for gay couples.
Sound: (3:06 a.m. audio feed)
273-w-30-(Steve Coleman, AP religion editor, with plaintiff David Mullins and defense attorney Nicolle Martin)–A suburban Denver baker who wouldn’t make a wedding cake for a gay couple has told the Colorado Court of Appeals that he shouldn’t be forced to change course because doing so would violate his religious beliefs. AP Religion Editor Steve Coleman reports. (7 Jul 2015)
< 219-a-11-(David Mullins, who sued the baker who refused to bake his gay wedding cake, with reporters)-“true equality yet”-David Mullins, who sued the baker who refused to bake his gay wedding cake, says an important principle is at stake. (7 Jul 2015) < 220-a-07-(Jeremy Tedesco, attorney with the Alliance Defending Freedom, with reporters)-“cake they wanted”-Jeremy Tedesco, attorney with the Alliance Defending Freedom, says the baker doesn’t oppose gays, but only gay weddings. (7 Jul 2015) < 221-a-10-(Nicolle Martin, attorney for baker Jack Phillips, with reporters)-“should all fear”-Nicolle Martin, attorney for baker Jack Phillips, says he shouldn’t be forced to bake a cake that violates his religious beliefs. (7 Jul 2015) < GAY MARRIAGE-BROWNBACK Kansas governor issues order to protect gay marriage foes TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) β Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback has issued an executive order aimed at protecting clergy, religious leaders and religious groups from being penalized by the state for opposing same-sex marriage. Brownback’s order says the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling last month legalizing gay marriage across the nation has the potential to infringe upon religious liberties. Critics say Brownback is sanctioning discrimination even as the state extends new benefits to gay and lesbian couples The state and U.S. Constitutions protect religious liberties, and Kansas enacted a law in 2013 saying that state and local agencies can’t substantially limit someone’s exercise of religion without a compelling reason. The governor’s order says state agencies can’t alter contracts with individuals or religious groups, change their tax status or deny them licenses or tax breaks based on their refusal to perform same-sex marriages or provide services for such marriages. GAY MARRIAGE-TEXAS Texas clerk issues ‘declaration’ in opposing same-sex unions DALLAS (AP) β A county clerk in West Texas is refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples and is asking state leaders in a self-described “declaration” to “protect natural marriage from lawless court opinions.” The objection by Irion County Clerk Molly Criner to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that legalized gay marriage refers to prior court decisions, state resolutions from 1798 and the writings of Martin Luther King Jr. in arguing that marriage “between one man and one woman remains the law in Texas.” Criner did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday and it’s not clear if others in her office are authorized to issue the license. Her detailed opposition comes amid a flurry of opinions issued by county attorneys recently for clerks seeking guidance in the wake of the ruling. BAYLOR UNIVERSITY-HOMOSEXUALITY Baylor University drops ‘homosexual acts’ from conduct rules WACO, Texas (AP) β The world’s largest Baptist university has dropped specific references to homosexual acts from its sexual conduct policy. The Baylor University’s policy now only specifies “that physical sexual intimacy is to be expressed in the context of marital fidelity.” The resolution to make the policy apply equally to all students, faculty and staff was presented to university regents in November 2013. Regents approved the change in May. Baylor spokeswoman Lori Fogleman says regents approved the changes because they didn’t believe the previous language “reflected Baylor’s caring community.” However, the policy’s application for married same-sex couples is less clear. The policy’s application section of the policy still cites a 1963 Southern Baptist doctrinal statement specifying marriage as united one man and one woman in a lifetime commitment. MOUNTAIN JESUS STATUE Appeals Court considers ‘Big Mountain Jesus’ case PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) β The fate of a six-foot-statue known as Big Mountain Jesus rests with a three-judge appeals panel after a lawyer representing a group of atheists asked for it to be removed from U.S. Forest Service property in Montana. A federal district judge in 2013 said the Flathead National Forest could reissue a 10-year permit for the statue that has stood along a ski run since 1954. In an effort to get that decision reversed, attorney Rich Bolton told a 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel Tuesday that the statue violates the constitutional prohibition on Congress making any law regarding an establishment of religion. U.S. Justice Department attorney Joan Pepin responded that the Jesus statue has local historical significance, and that the U.S. Forest Service wasn’t endorsing a religion in granting a permit. Sound: (3:06 a.m. audio feed) 244-a-04-(Rich Bolton, attorney for the Freedom From Religion Foundation, at federal appeals court hearing)-“of religious endorsement”-Rich Bolton, the attorney for the Freedom From Religion Foundation, says it’s unconstitutional to have a Jesus statue on government land. (7 Jul 2015) < 245-a-12-(Joan Pepin, U.S. Justice Department attorney, at federal appeals court hearing)-“by the government”-U.S. Justice Department attorney Joan Pepin says the statue doesn’t violate the U.S. Constitution. (7 Jul 2015) < 246-a-09-(Joan Pepin, U.S. Justice Department attorney, at federal appeals court hearing)-“for that reason”-U.S. Justice Department attorney Joan Pepin says the Mountain Jesus statue has a secular purpose. (7 Jul 2015) < 247-a-10-(Federal Judge Norman Randy Smith, at federal appeals court hearing)-“directly encounter it”-Federal Judge Norman Randy Smith says the statue is in a remote location. (7 Jul 2015) < ARKANSAS CAPITOL-MONUMENT MENAGERIE Groups call for Hindu, vegan displays at Arkansas Capitol LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) β The Arkansas Capitol lawn could soon get crowded: Existing statues that honor Confederate soldiers, fallen firefighters and the nine black children who integrated Little Rock Central High School might be joined shortly by tributes for vegans, a monkey-faced deity and a cloven-hooved demon. State legislators this year approved placing a privately funded Ten Commandments display on Capitol grounds, perhaps opening a way for religious groups and others to erect their own displays. The Satanic Temple has said it may erect a bronze Baphomet, and on Tuesday two more groups said they want space to promote their deeply held beliefs. Nevada-based Hindu activist Rajan Zed proposes a statue of Lord Hanuman, a deity with an ape-like face and a tail. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals told The Associated Press it wants a massive vegetable banner hung from the Arkansas Capitol. ARKANSAS FAITH SUMMIT Arkansas governor announces summit of faith-based groups LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) β Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson says he’ll hold a summit of faith-based groups to help with a shortage of homes for foster children and a need for re-entry programs for thousands of inmates leaving the prison system each year. The Republican governor announced that the “Restore Hope” summit will be held in downtown Little Rock Aug. 25-26 and is aimed at encouraging churches, synagogues and other religious organizations to play a greater role in addressing the two problems. Hutchinson said private funds were being used primarily to pay for the summit’s organization and promotion, including thousands of notices that are being sent to houses of worship encouraging their participation. The steering committee for the summit includes Christian, Jewish and Islamic leaders, as well as state officials. PARKERSBURG PRAYER Parkersburg council asked to drop pre-meeting Lord’s Prayer PARKERSBURG, W.Va. (AP) β An atheist group says the city council of Parkersburg, West Virginia, is violating the law by saying the Lord’s Prayer before public meetings. The Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation has asked the council to discontinue the prayer. The Parkersburg News and Sentinel reports that the group made the request in a letter sent to council President J.R. Carpenter. The foundation’s staff attorney, Patrick Elliot, says in the letter that the prayer discriminates against citizens who aren’t religious. Elliot says prayer at government meetings is inappropriate and unnecessary. Carpenter and Councilman John Rockhold say the prayer is voluntary and the council isn’t doing anything illegal. Mayor Jimmy Colombo says the council won’t stop the practice. RIGHT TO DIE-CALIFORNIA California right-to-die bill stalls with Catholics opposed SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) β Legislation to allow terminally ill patients to legally end their lives in California has stalled amid fierce opposition from religious groups. The bill’s authors said Tuesday they would not present the right-to-die bill to the Assembly Health Committee, effectively ending the effort for the year. The Catholic Church and other religious groups have opposed the bill. Right-to-die advocates could not get support from Los Angeles-area Democrats, where the archdiocese actively opposed it. Supporters hoped that changing public opinion and the California Medical Association’s decision to drop its opposition would help the bill pass. Advocates have said they would try to take the issue to voters if the bill fails. Doctors can prescribe life-ending drugs in four states. Efforts in other states to pass right-to-die legislation stalled this year. MUSLIM ASSAULT-INDICTMENT Tennessee man charged with planning mosque attack in NY CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) β Federal prosecutors say a Tennessee man has been indicted on a charge of soliciting another person to burn down a mosque in a small Muslim enclave in New York. The Department of Justice said Tuesday that 63-year-old Robert Doggart has been indicted by a grand jury in Knoxville on a charge of violating civil rights laws. The indictment says Doggart tried to “solicit, command, induce and endeavor” to persuade someone to burn down a mosque in “Islamberg,” a self-named community outside Hancock, New York, consisting primarily of Muslims. Doggart agreed to plead guilty in April to a charge of plotting an attack that involved killing residents and burning at least three buildings in Islamberg. But the plea agreement was thrown out by a federal judge on June 29. POPE-SOUTH AMERICA Pope presses environment message in bio-diverse Ecuador QUITO, Ecuador (AP) β Pope Francis is challenging Latin America’s youth to take up his environmental protection campaign, saying the defense of God’s creation isn’t just a recommendation but a requirement. Francis’ appeal, delivered at Quito’s Catholic University, is particularly relevant for Ecuador, a Pacific nation that is home to one of the world’s most species-diverse ecosystems in the Galapagos Islands and Amazon rain forest, but is also an OPEC country heavily dependent on oil extraction. Francis told students and professors that God gave humanity the Earth not only to cultivate, but to care for β a message contained in his encyclical on the environment. Francis began his last full day in Ecuador with an open-air Mass that drew more than 1 million people. In his homily, Francis urged Latin Americans to channel the same urgency that brought them independence from Spain two centuries ago into spreading the faith on a continent where Catholicism is losing souls to evangelical movements. Sound: (3:06 a.m. audio feed) 264-r-10-(Pope Francis, delivering homily in Spanish, at papal Mass)–Pope Francis, speaking Spanish, says “It’s unthinkable that unity can shine forth, if spiritual worldliness puts us at war with one another.” (7 Jul 2015) < 265-r-08-(Choir singing, at papal Mass)–Sound of choir singing at papal Mass in Quito, Ecuador. (7 Jul 2015) < ISRAEL-UNESCO Israel: UNESCO ‘ignores’ Jewish, Christian ties to Jerusalem JERUSALEM (AP) β Israel is criticizing a looming decision on Jerusalem by the U.N.’s cultural agency, saying it ignores Jewish and Christian ties to the biblical city. Several Arab states submitted a draft resolution to UNESCO that condemns Israel for archaeological digs in Jerusalem’s Old City and for building a light rail line nearby that it says caused damage and ruined its “visual integrity.” A UNESCO official says a resolution is due to be adopted Wednesday. Israeli Foreign Ministry Director Dore Gold said Tuesday the text “deliberately ignores the historical connection between the Jewish people and their ancient capital.” He says it also ignores Christianity’s ties to Jerusalem. Israel captured the area from Jordan in the 1967 war and says it protects holy sites for all religions. Its control is not internationally recognized. ISRAEL-REFORM JEWS Ultra-Orthodox Israeli minister slams Reform Judaism members JERUSALEM (AP) β Israel’s minister for religious affairs has criticized Reform Judaism, saying he doesn’t consider its adherents to be Jews. David Azoulay of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party told Israel’s Army Radio Tuesday that followers of the Reform branch of Judaism are “Jews who lost their way” and he hoped they would “return to the midst of Judaism according to Jewish law.” The comments followed an Israeli Cabinet decision to reverse an initiative aimed at easing the conversion process to Judaism. It marked a blow to the previous government’s attempts to break the ultra-Orthodox monopoly in Israel and make Judaism more inclusive. The more liberal Reform and Conservative streams make up the largest branches of Judaism in the United States but they are mostly marginal in Israel, where religious life is dominated by a strict ultra-Orthodox establishment. MORMON LEADER-SON Son: Mormon leader Packer saw moral declines before death SALT LAKE CITY (AP) β The son of Mormon leader Boyd K. Packer says it pained his father during his final years to observe declining morals around the world. Boyd K. Packer died last week at the age of 90 from natural causes. A public funeral is planned Friday in Salt Lake City. His oldest son, Allan Packer, said Tuesday that his father had been all over the world and “ached” at the moral decline he saw. Boyd K. Packer was a staunch advocate for a conservative form of Mormonism, making him a target of gay rights groups. Asked about those criticisms, Allan Packer said his father “was most concerned to do what Heavenly Father wanted him to do and to teach the gospel principles found in the Scriptures.” Packer was next in line to become president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was the president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, a group modeled after Jesus Christ’s apostles that serves under the church president and his two counselors. POLYGAMOUS TOWNS-LAWSUIT Trial set in civil rights case against polygamous towns PHOENIX (AP) β A Jan. 19 trial has been set in Phoenix for a lawsuit that alleges polygamous towns on the Arizona-Utah line systematically denied housing, water services and police protection to people who aren’t part of the communities’ dominant religious sect. The lawsuit by the U.S. Justice Department alleges that officials in Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah, served as an arm of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a sect that broke away from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when the main Mormon group disavowed polygamy. The lawsuit alleges that the communities’ police officers have confronted people about their disobedience of church rules, failed to investigate crimes against them and returned an underage bride home after she had fled. The towns deny the allegations.
