Bishop: 'Nondiscrimination' Bill Targets Christians

A Missouri clergyman says the state's nondiscrimination bill actually discriminates against people of faith.

Bishop James Johnston said forcing believers to recognize same-sex relationships violates their religious freedoms and essentially makes Christians criminals.

Johnston, a leader in the Springfield-Cape Girardeau Catholic Diocese, issued a letter opposing the measure.

"Do the people of Springfield really want to make criminals out of persons who are merely trying to live their faith?" he said in the letter quoted by the Springfield News-Leader. "Does the government have a compelling interest in forcing every member of our society to participate in the celebration of same-sex relationships?"

"In the name of preventing discrimination against some," the council would "impose it on others," he wrote.

The bill is an expansion of Springfield's nondiscrimination ordinance, which the City Council plans to vote on at its Oct. 13 meeting. It would add sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of protected classes.