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Pinedale Roundup

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By Cheri Steinmetz, Wyoming State Rep. HD5

We are fortunate to live in America where our Rights to Free Speech and Religious Liberty are guaranteed by our Constitutions. Or ARE they?  One evening of watching the news might lead us to question if the government understands what unalienable rights actually are? And when you see what is happening to Judge Ruth Neely of Pinedale you will wonder if we are living behind the iron curtain or in Wyoming.  But before we get to that story, let’s review what our Constitutions say.

The United State Constitution states:

First Amendment.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

We who live in Wyoming enjoy even broader protections as our Wyoming Constitution is one of the strongest in the Country on these issues.

The Wyoming Constitution states:

Article 1. Sec. 18.  Religious liberty.

The free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship without discrimination or preference shall be forever guaranteed in this state, and no person shall be rendered incompetent to hold any office of trust or profit, or to serve as a witness or juror, because of his opinion on any matter of religious belief whatever; …

Article 1. Sec. 20.  Freedom of speech and press; libel; truth a defense.

Every person may freely speak, write and publish on all subjects, being responsible for the abuse of that right;…

Article 21. Sec. 25.  Religious liberty.

Perfect toleration of religious sentiment shall be secured, and no inhabitant of this state shall ever be molested in person or property on account of his or her mode of religious worship.

The freedom to exercise these rights is under fire in Wyoming, rights that I took an oath of office to uphold.

Let me explain. Judge Ruth Neely has served honorably as the municipal judge in Pinedale, Wyoming, for more than 21 years. In that position, she hears all cases arising under the ordinances of Pinedale, which generally involve traffic and parking violations, animal control and similar matters.

Judge Neely has also served as a part-time circuit court magistrate. In that capacity, she has the authority to, among other things, administer oaths, issue subpoenas, issue search and arrest warrants, conduct bond hearings, and has the discretion to solemnize marriages. The law does NOT state that Judge Neely shall preform marriages, it states that she may. (Wyo. Stat. § 20-1-106).

Judge Neely’s life changed unexpectedly on December 5, 2014. While hanging Christmas lights at her home she received a phone call from an unidentified number. When Judge Neely returned the call, she reached a reporter with the Sublette Examiner, and he without warning asked her whether she was “excited” to perform same-sex marriage ceremonies now that they had become legal. Judge Neely replied that because of her religious beliefs, she would “not be able to do” same-sex marriages and that she had not “been asked to perform” one. In December 2014, an article appeared in the Sublette Examiner quoting these statements by Judge Neely.

In March 2015, the Wyoming Commission on Judicial Conduct and Ethics filed a complaint against her, alleging judicial misconduct under the Wyoming Code of Judicial Conduct and seeking her removal from both judicial positions, even though she is not permitted to perform marriages as a municipal judge. More specifically, the commission alleged that by merely communicating her religious beliefs about marriage and her inability to solemnize same-sex marriages, Judge Neely failed to follow the law and manifested bias or prejudice based on sexual orientation.

All of us should be deeply troubled by Judge Neely’s experience. First is the troubling idea that anyone could be removed from public office merely for expressing a belief that is declared ‘wrong’ by activists with access to governing bodies.  This attempt to punish Judge Neely for her response to the reporter’s question violates her rights to the free exercise of religion and free speech under both the Wyoming and U.S. Constitutions.

Equally troubling is the idea that a Commission can assume authority to make and interpret law. The Wyoming Supreme Court will soon have the opportunity to rule on the Commission’s prosecution of Judge Neely. If the Supreme Court upholds the Commission’s recommendation, it will be affirming that boards, commissions and other bodies can grab authority and punish at will. But if the Supreme Court rejects the Commission’s recommendation, it will reaffirm that, in this country, speaking about one’s religious beliefs does not disqualify a person from holding public office.

Several past and present legislators have filed an Amicus Brief in support of Judge Neely. You also have an opportunity to be heard on this issue. If you stand in support of Judge Neely and the right of all citizens to freely speak and freely exercise their religious beliefs, these unalienable rights guaranteed by the U.S. and Wyoming Constitutions, speak up. To find more information about Judge Neely or support her by signing the online petition, visit WYPastors.net

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We have exciting news to share! WPN has made arrangements for Dr. Ryan Anderson to come and address us at a special conference in November.  Dr. Anderson is the author of Truth Overruled: The Future of Marriage and Religious Freedom. This book was released on Kindle only a month after the Obergefell ruling and, on August 31, it was released in paperback.  We encourage you to read this book. Watch your inbox for details on the upcoming conference.

Marriage

At SCOTUS Blog, the blog of the Supreme Court, you can read a variety of opinions on the SCOTUS ruling on marriage. There are articles both for and against so they give a good overview of potential ramifications for how this will affect us as church leaders.

At the Witherspoon Institute you can read a variety of articles written by Ryan Anderson. Ryan is the premiere thinker among conservative Christians in being able to articulate core arguments in defense of Biblical marriage. Ryan’s arguments however, come from natural revelation and history.

Peter Roff, This Is Only the Beginning: The Supreme Court’s Decision Legalizing Gay Marriage Nationwide Presents a Threat to Religious Liberty. A good overview of some of the implications this ruling will be having on the church.

Religious Freedom

John Burger, Congress Set to Disband Government Watchdog Monitoring Religious Freedom, August 31, 2015. U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom will shut down in only a few days unless its mandate is extended.

30 North Carolina Magistrates Refuse Gay Weddings – Legally at CBN News.com.

Audio/Visual Resources

On August 5, the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the SBC held their 2015 National Conference. Dr. Russell Moore delivered a well thought out presentation titled: How the Gospel Reshapes Evangelical Political Engagement. All of the presentations are available for viewing on YouTube.
August 12-13, a conference was presented by Doxology called: Finding Our Voice: Sex, Marriage, and the Christian Vision. This conference focussed on helping pastors find their voice by setting current issues into their broader task of pastoral care. Audio recordings of all presentations were made and are available for free download.

To God Alone be the glory,
Tim Moyer, Thayne
Shaun Sells, Cheyenne
Jonathan Lange, Evanston

The post Digest Sept 2015 appeared first on Wyoming Pastors Network.

Due to the recent SCOTUS decision, July’s WPN Digest is dedicated entirely to this and directly related issues.

ACLU: Why we can no longer support  the federal ‘religious freedom’ law.
The ACLU explains why they flip-flopped on religious freedom.

Preserving Religious Liberty for all Texans.
The Governor of Texas takes a stand

Religious leaders ‘Obey God Rather than Men’ in Open Letter to U.S. Supreme Court.
Religious leaders take out ad in Washington Post.

Talking points for pastors
Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod

Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod Response
President, Matthew Harrison

Courage to Be on the Wrong Side of History: Lessons from Burke and Nietzsche
Witherspoon Institute, Public Discourse

Keep Calm and Marry On, Jonathan Lange
Editorial in the Kemmerer Gazette

The post Digest July 2015 appeared first on Wyoming Pastors Network.

Not wanting to overwhelm you with resources, we still thought it would be useful to forward to you a select few of the best articles from the previous month dealing with: Marriage, Life & Religious Freedom. These are intended to deepen and enrich your own understanding of what is happening in the public square, as well as provide you with resources that may decide to pass on to your congregation.

MARRIAGE ARTICLES:Jason L. Riley, Race Relations and Law Enforcement

Jason Riley a member of the editorial board of the Wall Street journal gave this speech on January 30, 2015 at Hillsdale college for the AWC Family foundation lecture series. In this speech, Jason details how fatherlessness in the black community has led to devastating consequences in our inner cities.

Stephen Baskerville, Married to the State

Stephen Baskerville, assoc. professor of government at Patrick Henry College explores how no fault divorce laws have promoted social chaos in our country.

John Blake, ‘Lord of the Flies’ Comes to Baltimore

John Blake details how the anarchy in Baltimore is directly related to the demise of the home.

LIFE ARTICLES:

Rich Cromwell, Sofia Vergera and Nick Loeb Illustrate IVFs Ethical Questions

The very public battle over a celebrity-couple’s frozen children provide an excellent teachable moment for the ethical implications of In Vitro Fertilization. This article presents an excellent overview of the tangled web that is spun in the world of IVF.

Wesley Smith, Bigot Peter Singer: Don’t Pay to Treat Disabled Babies

In this column from May 11, Smith calls attention to an April radio interview with Peter Singer. On it, Singer drew out the implications of his ethos that assigns and withholds personhood on the basis of abilities. Not only is this a dangerous stance, but it is especially deadly when injected into the system of government run health care.

Wesley Smith, Great Assisted Suicide Political Con

Once a society accepts killing as an answer to human suffering, the list of people “at-risk” never stops expanding. This is not just hypothetically true, it is demonstrated by the data we are already collecting and from the words of advocates for the movement. This year’s assisted suicide bill died in the Wyoming House’ floor committee. But it will be back and we need to understand the issue well.

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