Ministers Threatened with Jail/Fines For Refusing to Officiate at Gay Weddings

[Mister Agenda]

Non-discrimination laws have been around for quite a while now Woody. If it's a business, they must follow those laws to participate in the public sphere. Just like a business can't refuse to serve black patrons, a business cannot refuse to serve gay patrons. Now, if it were a church and not a busniess then they can refuse to do whatever they like legally. The fact that the owners of this business happen to be pastors is beside the point. They could refuse all the gay couples and black couples and pre-marital-sex-having couples or any other sort of "affront" to their religion, if it was a church. But it's not. It's a business.

By the way, I didn't think using religious ritual as a business was quite...kosher.

This is the product they are selling:

We strive to make your wedding experience memorable and personal for you. At the Hitching Post, ordained ministers will marry you using a traditional, religious ceremony. You are also able to choose which themed room you would like to have your ceremony in.

-bolded by me.

http://hitchingpostweddings.com/resources/faq/

Freedom of Religion has been around a lot longer than anti-discrimination laws. Free exercise of religion trumps anti-discrimination laws as evidenced by the numerous ministerial exceptions the courts say exists.

The government cannot force a minister to preform a religious ceremony against his will.

In the original advertisement, before they changed it for purposes of covering their assessment for this lawsuit (aka, lying), their website indicated that they also offered civil ceremonies for people of any faith. And they don't have to perform the ceremony themselves, they could have someone else do it. But their business is a place of public accommodation, and subject to the relevant laws.