State Tells Christian Filmmakers: Must Service Same-Sex Marriages or None At All

The War on Christianity is Losing to Politically Correct Insanity

Steve Warren

Two Christian filmmakers appeared before the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Paul Tuesday to challenge Minnesota state law which they say illegally forces them to produce and create films expressing messages that contradict their core beliefs. 

Telescope Media Group owners Carl and Angel Larsen have already been threatened with hefty fines and up to 90 days in jail if they choose to disregard the law.

The Larsens want to enter the wedding industry. However, the state's Human Rights Act stipulates if the couple creates films celebrating their Christian beliefs about marriage – that marriage is between one man and one woman, they must also create films about marriage that violate their beliefs, including films promoting same-sex marriages.

Now, it's not clear what 'enter the wedding industry' means. Do they want to make individualized videos of wedding and create some kind of movie from that. Or, do they just want to be photographers and videographers. It would be nice to be a little more clear on that.

"The government shouldn't threaten filmmakers with fines and jail time to force them to create films that violate their beliefs," said ADF Senior Counsel Jeremy Tedesco in a press release. "Carl and Angel are storytellers – they script, stage, conduct interviews, capture footage, select music, edit and more – all to tell compelling stories through film that promote their religious beliefs." 

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 7-2 in Masterpiece that the government must respect the belief—held by countless Americans from all walks of life—that marriage is between one man and one woman," he continued. "The 8th Circuit should reinstate the Larsens' lawsuit and order the state to stop forcing the Larsens to speak messages about marriage that violate their beliefs."

In 2017, the Larsens tried to challenge the law as unconstitutional but a lower court dismissed their case and mandated that they service same-sex weddings or close this part of their business. They are now appealing to the 8th Circuit Court.

According to the ADF, Minnesota officials have repeatedly stated that private businesses such as the Larsens' violate the law if they decline to create films promoting same-sex weddings. Penalties for violation include payment of a civil penalty to the state; triple compensatory damages; punitive damages of up to $25,000; a criminal penalty of up to $1,000; and even up to 90 days in jail.

Woman Jailed for 3 Months in France for Refusing to Remove Niqab, Arrest Sparks Riots

The New Normal - France and the Niqab

A French court has handed a woman a six-month prison sentence for refusing a police officer’s request that she remove her niqab. The decision has sparked outrage in the French Muslim community.

The sentence follows the woman’s dramatic arrest in the southern city of Toulouse last month after she was stopped by police for wearing a full-face veil, which is illegal in France.

She allegedly showed a poor-quality photocopy of her identity card and refused to lift her veil to let the officers see her face. After numerous attempts to have her remove the veil, the woman began to scream for help.

The woman was placed under arrest and moved into a police vehicle. The police officers were then confronted by a group of approximately 30 people. Officers attempted to dispel the crowd using tear gas and by discharging their weapons. The incident is blamed for sparking furious riots in the city with more than a dozen cars burnt out over two nights of unrest.

One month ago in Toulouse

The 37-year-old woman was handed the six-month sentence, with three months suspended, by the Toulouse Criminal Court on Thursday, FranceInfo reports. She was prosecuted for contempt, rebellion, and for making death threats against the police. She was also given a €100 fine and €1,000 in damages to be split between two police officers.

In the aftermath of her detention, the woman rejected the police version of events, saying the officers subjected her to insults. She also denied wearing the niqab, according to earlier reports.

The sentencing has provoked anger among the French Muslim community. The Islam&Info Facebook page, which has over 400,000 followers, posted a statement condemning the verdict. “She's the one who got molested by the police and we're condemning this mom to prison,” it said of the woman at the center of the case. “Islamophobic injustice is at all levels in France. May Allah protect her and facilitate her.”