Idaho Wedding Chapel Threatened: Anti-Discrimination Laws and Same-Sex Weddings

1. City threatens to arrest ministers who refuse to perform same-sex weddings By Todd Starnes Published October 20, 2014 “Two Christian ministers who own an Idaho wedding chapel were told they had to either perform same-sex weddings or face jail time and up to a $1,000 fine, according to a lawsuit filed Friday in federal court... “According to the lawsuit, the wedding chapel is registered with the state as a 'religious corporation' limited to performing 'one-man-one-woman marriages as defined by the Holy Bible.' But the chapel is also registered as a for-profit business – not as a church or place of worship – and city officials said that means the owners must comply with a local nondiscrimination ordinance. That ordinance, passed last year, prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation, and it applies to housing, employment and public accommodation. “City Attorney Warren Wilson told The Spokesman-Review in May that the Hitching Post Wedding Chapel likely would be required to follow the ordinance....And if he refused to perform the ceremonies, Wilson reportedly told the minister that he could be fined up to $1,000 and sentenced to up to 180 days in jail... “Now all of that was a moot point because, until last week, gay marriage was not legal in Idaho. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued an order on May 13 allowing same-sex marriages to commence in Idaho on Oct. 15. Two days later, the folks at the Hitching Post received a telephone call. A man had called to inquire about a same-sex wedding ceremony. The Hitching Post declined, putting it in violation of the law...

2. City threatens to arrest ministers who refuse to perform same-sex weddings By Todd Starnes Published October 20, 2014 “It’s hard to believe this could happen in the United States. But as the lawsuit states, the Knapps are in a 'constant state of fear that they may have to go to jail, pay substantial fines, or both, resulting in them losing the business that God has called them to operate and which they have faithfully operated for 25 years.' “The lawsuit came the same week that the city of Houston issued subpoenas demanding that five Christian pastors turn over sermons dealing with homosexuality and gender identity... “Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, told me it’s 'open season on Americans who refuse to bow to the government’s redefinition of marriage. Americans are witnesses to the reality that redefining marriage is less about the marriage altar and more about fundamentally altering the freedoms of the other 98 percent of Americans,' Perkins said.”

3. Pope Francis: 'God is not afraid of new things' Eric J. Lyman, USA TODAY, October 20, 2014 VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis on Sunday...called on the church to adapt to "changing conditions of society." His remarks took on added meaning as the bishops ended a two-week conference by rejecting landmark wording that would soften the church's stance toward homosexuality and divorce. "God is not afraid of new things," Francis pointedly said... Whether the document issued Saturday by the bishops is viewed as a setback for the pope, the conference did show the church can discuss difficult topics — such as the role of gays, lesbians and divorced Catholics. It also exposed a wide rift between conservative and liberal-minded leaders... An interim document issued last week by the bishops halfway through their synod included wording that welcomed the 'gifts and qualities' of gay Catholics and called on pastors to "avoid any language or behavior" that could discriminate against divorced Catholics. Such reconciliatory language was left out of Saturday's report. Some experts drew a parallel between Francis' efforts to reshape the church as a more progressive and open institution with Paul's tumultuous implementation of the Second Vatican Council, which dramatically modernized the church in the 1960s and 1970s by doing away with the Latin Mass, among other changes.

4. Music and Worship • References • Technical Development A. Musicology B. Beauty C. Physiology of Music • Biblical Development A. Directive/Descriptive/Principle B. Textual Exposition • Sacred Music—Standards and Hymnody • FAQs • Summary/Conclusion

5. Standards • Content • Arrangement • Instrumentation

6. Standards • Content • Arrangement • Instrumentation

7. www.bible.ca Erasmus (1466-1536) “We have brought into our churches certain operatic and theatrical music; such a confused, disorderly chattering of some words as I hardly think was ever in any of the Grecian or Roman theatres. The church rings with the noise of trumpets, pipes, and dulcimers; and human voices strive to bear their part with them. Men run to church as to a theatre, to have their ears tickled. And for this end organ makers are hired with great salaries, and a company of boys, who waste all their time learning these whining tones.”

8. www.bible.ca John Calvin (1509-1564) “Musical instruments in celebrating the praises of God would be no more suitable than the burning of incense, the lighting of lamps, and the restoration of the other shadows of the law. The Papists therefore, have foolishly borrowed, this, as well as many other things, from the Jews. Men who are fond of outward pomp may delight in that noise; but the simplicity which God recommends to us by the apostles is far more pleasing to him. Paul allows us to bless God in the public assembly of the saints, only in a known tongue (I Cor. 14:16). What shall we then say of chanting, which fills the ears with nothing but an empty sound?”

9. www.insearchoftruth.org Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531) “The churches of the city were purged of pictures, relics, crucifixes, altars, candles, and all ornaments. The pictures were broken and burned. The bones of saints were buried. Even the organ was removed, and the Latin singing of the choir abolished, but fortunately afterward, replaced with congregational singing of psalms and hymns in the vernacular.” (Philip Schaff, Church History, vol.8)

10. www.bible.ca Martin Luther (1483-1546) “The organ in the worship is the insignia (ensign) of Baal… The Roman Catholic borrowed it from the Jews.” (McClintock & Strong's Encyclopedia, Volume VI, p 762)

11. oneinjesus.info Jay Guin Martin Luther (1483-1546) “Nor am I at all of the opinion that all the arts are to be overthrown and cast aside by the Gospel, as some superspiritual people protest; but I would gladly see all the arts, especially music, in the service of Him who has given and created them.” Quoted in Joshua Busman, “Different Commandments: Sola Scriptura and Theologies of Worship in the Protestant Reformation” (2010).

12. oneinjesus.info Jay Guin Martin Luther (1483-1546) From John Barber, “Luther and Calvin on Music and Worship,” Reformed Perspectives Magazine, Volume 8, Number 26 (June 25 to July 1, 2006). “[Luther's] attitude toward music is clearly set forth in this well known Forward to Georg Rhau’s Symphoniae, a collection of chorale motets published in 1538. 'I, Doctor Martin Luther, wish all lovers of the unshackled art of music grace and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ! I truly desire that all Christians would love and regard as worthy the lovely gift of music, which is a precious, worthy, and costly treasure given to mankind by God. The riches of music are so excellent and so precious that words fail me whenever I attempt to discuss and describe them…. In summa, next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world. It controls our thoughts, minds, hearts, and spirits…. Our dear fathers and prophets did not desire without reason that music be always used in the churches. Hence, we have so many songs and psalms. This precious gift has been given to man alone that he might thereby remind himself that God has created man for the express purpose of praising and extolling God.'

13. oneinjesus.info Jay Guin Martin Luther (1483-1546) From John Barber, “Luther and Calvin on Music and Worship,” Reformed Perspectives Magazine, Volume 8, Number 26 (June 25 to July 1, 2006). 'However, when man’s natural musical ability is whetted and polished to the extent that it becomes an art, then do we note with great surprise the great and perfect wisdom of God in music, which is, after all, His product and His gift; we marvel when we hear music in which one voice sings a simple melody, while three, four, or five other voices play and trip lustily around the voice that sings its simple melody and adorn this simple melody wonderfully with artistic musical effects, thus reminding us of a heavenly dance, where all meet in a spirit of friendliness, caress and embrace. A person who gives this some thought and yet does not regard music as a marvelous creation of God, must be a clodhopper indeed and does not deserve to be called a human being; he should be permitted to hear nothing but the braying of asses and the grunting of hogs.' “… Note above that Luther did not envisage music as a human invention, but as a gift from God (“Musica Dei donum optimi”). Again, Luther said, 'Music is an outstanding gift of God and next to theology. I would not give up my slight knowledge of music for a great consideration. And youth should be taught this art; for it makes fine skillful people.' “Luther also commented that music’s power had often stirred him to proclaim God’s Word. 'Music is God’s greatest gift. It has often so stimulated and stirred me that I felt the desire to preach.'”

14. oneinjesus.info Jay Guin Martin Luther (1483-1546) Charles P. St-Onge, “Music, Worship and Martin Luther,” (2003) “In his introduction to the Wittenberg hymnal of 1524, Luther writes: 'These songs were arranged in four parts to give the young—who should at any rate be trained in music and other fine arts—something to wean them away from love ballads and carnal songs and to teach them something of value in their place, thus combining the good with the pleasing, as is proper for youth.' “…Where did Luther’s views on music place him among the other reformers of the church? Luther had a high view of the value of music, and as has been shown approved of using several different melodic forms of music in worship. Luther also approved of using hymn lyrics not necessarily taken word for word from the Scriptures. While his texts often paraphrased the Scriptures, they also explained them, and propounded specific points of doctrine. Luther certainly approved of using instruments to enhance the music of the church’s liturgy, including the organ. He also had 'a tendency to accommodate renaissance thinking, to value music humanistically as a performance and as art…rather than…[as] a mathematical science valued for its theoretical content.' Luther parted ways with Augustine, Ambrose, and other writers of the early church in believing that the emotive value of music was a positive, not a negative.”

15. oneinjesus.info Jay Guin Martin Luther (1483-1546) Kurt J. Eggert, “Martin Luther, God’s Music Man” (1983) “Luther has also shown us how the simple unison melody of the congregational hymn can intertwine with the artistic music of choir, organ and instruments to join in a common, concerted praise of God’s name. He has elevated the conception of the work and worth of the church musician and pointed the way to his proper function of serving the cause of the gospel and leading God’s people in worship.”

16. John Wesley (1703-1791) Adam Clarke's Commentary, Vol. 4, pg. 685 “I have no objection to instruments of music in our chapels provided they are neither heard nor seen.”

17. Adapted from christianhistory.net, “When did churches start using instrumental music?” Elesha Coffman, posted 8/08/2008 thebible.net,”History of Instruments in Worship” Charles Aebi, July, 2007 The Reformation kicked off large-scale worship wars. When the major traditions picked their positions, they looked broadly like this: Catholics retained instrumental and organ music performed only by musicians (the congregation was not invited to sing along, and members couldn't have followed the complex music anyway); the Reformed Church, (Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, Church of the Brethren, Mennonites) opted for unaccompanied congregational psalm-singing; Lutherans, Anglicans, and Episcopalians adopted a mix of instrumental and vocal music, some of which was performed by musicians and some of which was sung by the congregation; and the Eastern (Greek) Orthodox Church continued to reject the use of instruments.