Holding a state license to provide counseling does not require the counselor to leave his or her religious convictions at home.
Frank Canepa is a Christian counselor in Oregon who believes what the Bible teaches about marriage and sexuality: marriage is the God-ordained union between one man and one woman, and homosexuality is a sin.
There is no such thing as a marriage between people of the same sex.
One of Canepa’s clients demanded that he affirm her same-sex “marriage.” She berated him into a response. But his response was “wrong.”
According to Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), the Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists fined Canepa $89,636 for telling the client that his faith prevented him from affirming her “marriage.” From ADF:
Although Canepa had seen this client for over two and a half years and had never mentioned his personal views on same-sex relationships in at least 44 other sessions in which this topic came up, the client insisted for 20 minutes in one session that Canepa personally bless her same-sex relationship. Canepa eventually told her he could not personally affirm these relationships because of his Catholic faith.
Why did the board decide to risk a civil rights violation over a client who clearly wanted to start trouble?
In addition to the fine, the state ordered Canepa to submit to six hours of indoctrination and pay for his own hearing.
ADF filed a lawsuit on Canepa’s behalf. ADF contends that the board violated his First Amendment rights.
Four weeks ago, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed this fundamental right in Chiles v. Salazar, holding that constitutional protections “extend to licensed professional” counselors like Canepa as “much as they do everyone else.”
“The government can’t target counselors for their views and can’t force people to say things that go against their core convictions,” said Jonathan Scruggs, ADF counsel. “The Supreme Court recently took Colorado to task for censoring counselors and mandating orthodoxy in the counselor’s office. Now, Oregon needs to learn the same First Amendment lesson.”
For decades, governments have openly discriminated against Christians — and got away with it.
Those days are over.
For 10,000 years the Word Marriage has ment the bonding of Man and Woman! Our Supreme Court has no power to change that! The queers need to come up with a New Word for their sickness. They can have a Queeriage instead of trying to spit in the face of Real Married Men & Women!
The word Marriage has meant the Bond of Man and Woman for 10,000 years! Gays must come up with a New Word for their Sickness. Queeriage Would be a good one! Instead of them trying to degrade and spitting in the face of Real Married Men&Women!