Michigan Catholic farmer, barred from market, sues city for religious discrimination
June 01, 2017
A Catholic farmer in Michigan has filed suit against the city of East Lansing, charging that the city engaged in religious discrimination by barring him from access to a farmers’ market.
Stephen Tennes, who had sold produce at the farmers’ market for several years, was barred after he stated his opposition to same-sex marriage and refused to host a wedding for a lesbian couple. No other farmer has been barred from the market under the city’s anti-discrimination policy, he noted.
The city of East Lansing responded to the suit by citing a “long-standing ordinance that protects sexual orientation as well as the Supreme Court’s ruling that grants the right for same-sex couples to be married.”
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Posted by: geoffreysmith1 -
Jun. 03, 2017 9:06 AM ET USA
"...should the Tennes family be protesting on religious grounds? Seems like they wouldn't be hosting Catholic weddings." A Catholic wedding should always take place in a Catholic church. An orchard is not the right place to invite Our Lord to be a guest. It may be suitable for the gays on the East Lansing administration, but not for Catholics. We have something far better than that.
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Posted by: jalsardl5053 -
Jun. 03, 2017 12:53 AM ET USA
Dear Farmer Tennes: you have my full support and prayers. The city of East Lansing has no right, despite their pretentious citing of rule of law, to ban you from selling your produce as neither one are not applicable. In short, back to basics: it's called the First Amendment. IMHO you were set up.
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Posted by: Bobalouie -
Jun. 02, 2017 8:18 PM ET USA
Two women wanted to get married in his orchard and he said no and defended traditional marriage on Facebook. Supreme Court says two women can get married. It didn't say they could get married on private property of their choosing without the permission of the owner.
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Posted by: garedawg -
Jun. 02, 2017 10:28 AM ET USA
So the two women actually wanted to get married at the Farmers' Market, right in Farmer Tennes' stall? What a strange venue! Perhaps they had their reception planned at a pizza place across the border in Indiana.
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Posted by: rpp -
Jun. 02, 2017 9:47 AM ET USA
This is how leftists want to destroy Christianity. Not by killing us, but to make it economically impossible for Christians to earn a living.
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Posted by: mary_conces3421 -
Jun. 02, 2017 4:42 AM ET USA
This indoubtedly reports an injustice. OTOH, as Catholics, should the Tennes family be protesting on religious grounds? Seems like they wouldn't be hosting Catholic weddings.
