03-26-12 Common Council Meeting Minutes

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REGULAR MEETING MARCH 26, 2012 Todd Metz, 221 Woodside, South Bend, Indiana, stated that he has a pamphlet from the Alliance Defense Fund that was published in 2009 and there are some things that he would like to read from. Some of this is just statements from U.S. Supreme Court Justices in regard to government control over religious freedom. In one case, it says that it is important to note that the fundamental principal of constitutional law that a government body may not suppress or exclude the speech of private parties just because the speech is religious or contains a religious prospective. This principle cannot be st denied without eviscerating the essential 1 amendment guarantees of free speech and religious freedom. In a combined judges decision “the court has merely held that the establishment clause requires the state to be neutral in its relations to religious believers and non-believers.” “It does not require the state to oppose religion or religious expression, in fact the constitution affirmatively mandates accommodation not merely tolerance of all religions and forbids hostility toward any.” “State power is no more to be used as to handicapped religions then it is to favor them.” He stated that if this ordinance does not specifically protect all religious expression and prohibit discrimination against st religion this will lead to 1 amendment violations specifically freedom of religious expression. This will become eventually a quagmire and a quandary. A quandary for the folks of the Common Council trying to figure out how to deal with these issues and a quagmire for the Courts that are being left to decide these issues. If we expand the rights of gays and transgender we have to also increase protections across the board for religious freedom of expression. If it is not in writing in the bill it cannot be enforced. We will end up exchanging one discriminated group for another and Christians are being increasingly attacked and increasingly discriminated against. We are being forced to increase our tolerance of homosexuality by the same people who are intolerant of our own religious beliefs. In rebuttal in regard to Dr. Catherine Pittman and published by the Alliance Defense Fund: None of the professional medical or mental health associations have banned or declared unethical attempts to help clients who desire to change their sexual orientation. It is true that the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from its elicited disorders in 1973 but that is a far cry from banning counseling assistance from those who seek it. And by no means represents the opinion of all the nation’s medical and counseling professionals. It is a fallacy to conclude from this vote, meaning the APA votes to remove homosexuality from this disorders list that the majority of psychiatrists in the United States were or now are in favor of the action. For only 25% of those eligible to vote are the more than 25,000 psychiatrists sent in their ballots. He reiterated 25% of 25,000. He is convinced by the many people he has interviewed for many of them they have made substantial changes toward becoming heterosexual. He came to this study skeptical but now believes that for many these changes can be sustained. This was Dr. Robert Spitzer commenting on his own research. He supplied a pamphlet to City Clerk John Voorde. Bob Strassburg, 24060 Sunrise Ct., South Bend, Indiana, stated that on behalf of his wife and three (3) children he wanted to appeal to the South Bend Common Council to vote against the proposed amendment to the Human Rights Ordinance that would grant special rights to those who chose to participate in the GLBT lifestyle. He stated that he and his wife have attending all the public meetings to date relating back to this proposed amendment dating back to 2006. As members of the South Bend Common Council you have a tremendous privilege to help shape our society and culture however, with that privilege comes an even greater responsibility. As you know our nation’s governances based upon Judea Christian values that come directly from Gods word. God’s commandments, his statutes and his principles are the foundation of this nations laws. Gods word says in Psalms 11.3 “If the foundations be destroyed what can the righteous do” Part of these foundations are the laws and ordinances that have been established for us as a city, state and nation to live by such that we promote God fearing young people for generations to come.” If the Common Council promotes and condone an ungodly lifestyle by passing legislations that give special privileges to those who a life of sodomy then you are inviting God’s judgment upon yourself, your family and the community in which you serve. God said in his word the Book of Leviticus “Thou shall not live with mankind as with womankind, it is an abomination.” In the New Testament Paul writes in the Book of Romans: That God refers to the practice of sodomy as vial affection. “For even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature and likewise also the men leaving the natural use of the woman earn their lust one toward 24