A real estate deal involving a homosexual couple could pit the State of Massachusetts against the Roman Catholic Church.
Two homosexual men are crying foul after the Diocese of Worcester dropped out of negotiations for the sale of a 30-room mansion to them. James Fairbanks and Alain Beret, who were attempting to purchase the Oakhurst Retreat Center in Whitinsville, have sued based on the state's anti-discrimination law.
Brian Camenker, who heads MassResistance, tells OneNewsNow he saw the writing on the wall when that law was being debated.
"We've warned for years that the anti-discrimination laws regarding sexual orientation were a big mistake and that they were only meant to be used for this kind of thing -- and we've been right all along," says the pro-family activist. "They're used to bully and force employers to employ homosexuals when they don't want to; they're forced on housing and everything else."
The church says they backed out because of questions about the men's ability to finance the purchase. The homosexuals, however, say it is because the church thought the mansion would be used for same-gender "weddings" -- and they claim they inadvertently received an email that backs up that argument.
Camenker says it is no wonder Fairbanks and Beret turned to the Fair Housing law. "It is used as a hammer to force people to do things that are against their moral values," he offers.
The MassResistance leader agrees the lawsuit suggests that anti-discrimination laws trump the constitutional right to freedom of religion. The homosexuals, he argues, are using them "to help change society and force compliance with their agenda."