“What to say to those who claim that religion requires them to discriminate? I tell you what I’d say: ‘Get thee to a nunnery, and live there then. Go live a monastic life, away from modern society, away from people you can’t see as equals to yourself,’” said homosexual state Sen. Pat Steadman of Denver.
He was advocating for a “civil unions” bill in Colorado that skirts the state’s constitutional definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman. The bill essentially provides the benefits of marriage to those who choose the homosexual lifestyle.
Steadman has removed last year’s provision that would have allowed business owners of faith to make decisions on how they would provide their own services.
Steadman expressed absolutely no tolerance for those of faith.
He also said the issue of the mandatory recognition by all of homosexuality was why he ran for public office.
“It’s very rewarding to know something I worked on for many years is this close to becoming reality,” he told the local CBS affiliate.
“Go some place and be as judgmental as you like, go inside your church, establish separate water fountains if you like. But don’t tell me that your free exercise of religion requires the state of Colorado to establish separate water fountains,” he said, according to a report on Denver’s KDVR television.
Video of his statement has been posted online by the station.
KDVR reported that Sen. Kent Lambert, R-Colorado Springs, pointed out the very intolerance being exhibited.
“Telling us get thee to a nunnery?” the station reported he said. “That doesn’t sound very inclusive to me.”
The station reported that all of the Senate Democrats, including Sen. Jean Nicholson, D-Gilpin
County, who recently was honored by the Colorado Youth Corps Association as legislator of the year, joined in Steadman’s statement of condemnation for those of faith.
Republicans repeatedly tried to amend the bill to allow for the religious rights of Christians, only to be shot down by Democrats.
“The justification heard for civil unions has always been to promote tolerance and even acceptance of the gay citizens of Colorado and the only way to honor that intent is to ensure tolerance and acceptance of those who hold strong religious convictions,” said Sen. Owen Hill, a Republican representing Colorado Springs.
The proposal next goes before Colorado House Democrats.
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, a staunch leftist, is expected to sign the plan coming out of the legislature.
Democrats, however, have not proposed “equality” for the hundreds of other “philias” besides homosexuality that Congress referenced when that body was discussing the “Hate Crimes” legislation approved and signed by Barack Obama shortly after he took office.
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