Northern Colorado Gazette

Colorado Senate Democrats

by Jack Minor –

Democrats in the Colorado state house reportedly have unanimously stood behind comments by Democratic Senate leader Pat Steadman, who  essentially told Christian’s if they wanted to oppose homosexuality they had best do so only within the four walls of a church and there is no place for them in society.

In a video posted by Fox 31, Denver, Steadman, who is openly “gay” said, “What to say to those who claim that religion requires them to discriminate? I tell you what I’d say: ‘Get thee to a nunnery, and live there then. Go live a monastic life, away from modern society, away from people you can’t see as equals to yourself,’ “

Steadman’s comments were in reference to the “civil unions” bill which is currently being debated in the legislature. Last year in an attempt to portray Democrats as being respectful of religion, the bill had an exemption that would have permitted business owners to make decisions on providing services based on their faith.

KDVR reported that all of the Senate Democrats joined Steadman in condemning people of faith.

However, now that the Democrats are in control of both chambers, they apparently no longer feel the need to show deference to the concerns of religious voters and have no problem forcing them to submit to a lifestyle which they consider to be morally objectionable. The current bill has stripped out any religious exemption except for actual members of the clergy.

The Gazette has previously reported how the current bill would force Christian businesses such as a photographer, baker or print shop to participate in civil union ceremonies even if they had a religious objection to unions between two members of the same sex.

Steadman has indicated he has absolutely no tolerance for Christians who subscribe to the traditional view of marriage, which has been a part of Christian doctrine for centuries.

“Go some place and be as judgmental as you like, go inside your church, establish separate water fountains if you like. But don’t tell me that your free exercise of religion requires the state of Colorado to establish separate water fountains,”

Local pastors took issue with Steadman’s words.

“We’ve already been there and done that,” Pastor Steven Grant of Destiny Christian Church said. “Christian’s left Europe to come to America where they could practice their Christian faith. We didn’t come to build a church, we came to build a Christian society.”

KDVR reported that Sen. Kent Lambert, R-Colorado Springs noted the irony in Steadman’s blatantly intolerant statement to those who disagree with him about homosexuality.

“Telling us to get to a nunnery?” the station reported him as saying. “That doesn’t sound very inclusive to me.”

Interestingly while Steadman has no problem denying Christians the right to oppose his lifestyle, his bill actually denies the same benefits he is seeking to others. Under the current bill two family members of the same-sex are not permitted to enter into a civil union, despite there being no compelling reason they should be prohibited from doing so.