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Starbucks880 -> RE: Homosexuality in the News (7/4/2008 10:54:24 PM)
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ORIGINAL: Stephanos
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ORIGINAL: Starbucks880
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ORIGINAL: Stephanos
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ORIGINAL: Starbucks880
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ORIGINAL: Marcus.
Police officer sues LAPD and Los Angeles, alleging religious discrimination
While off duty, the sergeant, who also is a pastor, gave a speech in which he called homosexual acts an 'abomination.'
By Victoria Kim, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
July 2, 2008
The Los Angeles Police Department engaged in religious discrimination by disciplining an employee for off-duty remarks made about homosexual acts, an LAPD sergeant has alleged in a lawsuit filed against the city and the department.
In a fall 2006 eulogy delivered at a fellow officer's funeral, Sgt. Eric Holyfield, who also is a pastor, said homosexual acts were "sinful" and an "abomination" and would lead to condemnation in hell, or the "lake of fire," if one did not repent, according to a lawsuit he filed June 19 in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
After those comments, LAPD passed him up for promotions and pay raises in retaliation, Holyfield alleges in the suit, saying that he was discriminated against for his religion and that his 1st Amendment rights were violated.
Story continues
It is in very poor taste of him to preach about that at a funeral. That is almost as low as Fred Phelps and his crew picketing funerals. That shows blatant disrespect for the deceased and the family. If he wants to preach about homosexuality, do it at one of his Sunday sermons, since it says he is a preacher. Speech is a gray area. I know my employee handbook at my hospital has certain situations about what I do off the clock being able to get me in trouble or fired and there is language where speech can be a factor int hat. I do get the point in that officers should not be biased against any group of people in their jobs. However, I think that simply preaching wouldn't prove that your bias would affect your job. Yes, it does point to a dislike of gays, but without action I think that preaching doesn't necessarily count as proof. For example, I have a fellow nurse in the ER who has been very clear that she doesn't agree with homosexuality, but at the same time I have never seen her treat any of the homosexuals that come through the ER any differently than any patient. That is not something we can do in our jobs--we cannot treat anyone differently due to our own prejudices--we get all lifestyles, races, and religions, so not being able to forget that would make us people who don't belong in the job. I would say the same as officers.
As for whether I agree with his lawsuit, I don't really know. We are only getting his side of the story and he will make himself look blameless and like the victim. So I would have to make sure there aren't any other reasons he was passed up for promotions or pay raises before I make a decision. Pay raises and promotions aren't a right, but the reasoning I would have to know more fully since I wouldn't trust anyone to tell the full truth in a situation as this.
Show us WHERE it EVER says the family was offended and disrespected by what was said at the funeral. I for one would want the pastor at my funeral to speak from God's word! The very fact that this LA times story does not mention if the family was upset, was probably because they were not, and saying so would upset the overall them of this story that the Officer/Pastor was wrong.
The family wasn't mentioned, because it was not the point of the article. That doesn't mean they weren't upset. This sermon per se and whether it was appropriate was not the focus--the guy's lawsuit is, so whether the family was upset or not was really irrelevant to the whole story. I mean, what does the family have to do with whether he was discriminated against by the Police Department? Absolutely nothing!!! So no reason to put that in. Anyway, a funeral is not a place to bash homosexuals. I can think of plenty of passages in the Bible you can use while still having some respect for the grieving family.
And again we dont know WHAT the family felt. For all you know THEY could have APPROVED of this. As I said, most pastors out there TALK with the family about there sermon BEFORE they give it! This family asked HIM to give a sermon during the funeral. If THEY are not upset on what he said, what business is it of the LAPD to punish him for that? The family's responce is at the very HEART of this case!
Furthermore, there NEVER is a WRONG time to speak the TRUTH about what the bible says. And the simple fact is, is the bible condemns homosexuality.
If it can be construed as being something that can bring down image of the LAPD, then they would have reason to go after him regardless of what the family thinks, even if they are card carrying members of Fred Phelps church and wanted homosexual bashing. Many employers have similar clauses--you do things outside of work that has the possibility of reflecting badly on the organization, then you open yourself up to retribution. They don't care really who it hurts, but whether it can hurt them. In an area where a homosexual population is high, then something like this could bring pressure from GLAAD, and all sorts of other groups against them. The LAPD already has kind of a bad reputation, so they probably saw him as some sort of threat and had to at least appear to not support him. Anyway, this is the last thing I will say about the family. You totally missed the whole point of my post and took it on a long tangent that I still contend is not relevant to the whole argument or what I was saying in my post.
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