06 Nov 2003 Gays Don’t Have Full Freedom of Religion or Expression, Judge Says

The judge in this news story is effectively trying to decree that homosexuals have less First Amendment rights than anyone else.

Briefly, Denver Judge John Coughlin has ordered a mother not to teach her child any Christian teaching that condemns homosexual activity. This is because the mother (who is the child’s sole parent) considered herself to be a lesbian at the time of the child’s adoption, and had a lover at the time.

The judge believes the former lover’s feelings should be taken into consideration, even though the former lover has no legal nor biological relationship with the child.

Legal precedent grants no rights to persons whose sole relationship to a child is a sexual relationship with the child’s parent, regardless of the parent’s sexuality.

Had the mother in this story not considered herself to be a lesbian before her conversion to Christianity, she would not now be being told that she can’t legally instruct her child that sex outside of marriage is against Christian teaching.

Can anyone imagine a judge telling a woman who used to sleep with her boyfriend that she can’t teach her children that sex outside of marriage is against Christian theology?

The judge, by the way, did not tell the mother’s former lover that she can’t make disparaging remarks about Christian theology to the child.

Don’t expect gay rights groups to stand up for the First Amendment rights being threatened in this case. All they’ll see is a judge telling someone not to criticize homosexual activity. Nonetheless, they should remember that when fundamental human rights are tossed out like dirty bathwater, historically it is minorities who suffer most.

WorldNetDaily has an story about this as well, here, for anyone who wants additional details.