Certain commenters have, in the past, argued that I shouldn't talk about Canadian policies that infringe upon the religious liberties of Christians in their business practices and public speech. I've been told that since such abuses are not occurring here in the United States, that such abuses are irrelevant -- especially when they have to do with the freedom of Americans to speak out against homosexual marriage or special rights for homosexuals, or to conduct their business in a manner which does not give aid and comfort to what they view as the homosexual political agenda.

One such case in Canada had to do with a Christian printer who refused to print material for a homosexual rights group. Canadian governmetn authorities forced the printer to do the printing job, and also imposed monetary damages upon the business owner. But of course, I'm told, such an abuse of human rights by govenrment officials could never happen here.

Until it did, in Arlington Virginia -- literally a stone's throw from our nation's capital, and the charters of freedom that ennunciate the principles of liberty upon which this nation is founded. Unfortunately, they have been rendered null and void in Arlington. That is the message of the so-called Arlington Human Rights Commission to Tim Bono of Bono Film and Video.

In a case similar to a Canadian Christian printerÂ’s punishment for declining a job for a homosexual activist group, an Arlington, Virginia, video duplicator has been ordered by the Arlington County Human Rights Commission to do a job for a lesbian activist.

The April 18 order follows a March 9 hearing in which Tim Bono of Bono Film and Video cited constitutional freedom of religion protection in refusing to duplicate two pro-homosexual films for lesbian activist Lillian Vincenz, according to the Family Policy Network (FPN), which is seeking clients for a class-action suit against the county.

Bono, a Christian, said he did not want to violate his Biblical values by assisting the promotion of homosexual behavior. Bono Film & Video informs potential customers that the firm does not duplicate material that the firm deems obscene, could embarrass employees, hurt the companyÂ’s reputation, or that runs counter to the company's Christian and ethical values, Bono told FPN.

After Bono rebuffed her request, Vincenz asked Arlington County officials to force Bono to duplicate her videos. The Arlington Human Rights Commission began an investigation and held a public hearing on March 9 to discuss the alleged discrimination.

As of April 25, neither Bono nor Vincenz had responded to the commissionÂ’s order, Raul Torres, executive director of the Human Rights Commission, told Concerned Women for AmericaÂ’s Culture & Family Institute (CFI).

If Bono refuses to do the job, “after a reasonable amount of time, the commission can reassemble and discuss why the remedy was not done,” Raul said. The commission could then forward the case to the full county Board of Commissioners and ask them for permission to file a discrimination complaint in Arlington Circuit Court, he said.

In other words, what has happened here is that a Christian business owner has been directed to produce material that runs directly contrary to his religious beliefs. A right guaranteed by the US Constitution has been overthrown in the name of promoting "tolerance" for homosexuality. But where is the tolerance for Christianity?

And by the way -- whatever happened to what we were all once told was a guiding principle of the homosexual rights movement, that all that was being asked was for homosexuals to be left alone. It was supposed to be a matter of "live and let live." But instead of tolerance, what is now demanded is acceptance by all and subservience by those who disagree.

Whatever happened to the First Amendment and freedom of religion? What about Tim Bono's right to be left alone? What of his freedom to practice his religion in his professional life?

And whatever happened to "it can't happen here"?

Posted by: Greg at 01:54 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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