religious persecution – Techdirt (original) (raw)

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Guy Who Sued Apple For Not Preventing Him From Accessing Porn Now Suing A&E And Obama For Religious Persecution

from the to-say-the-filing-is-'problematic'-would-be-to-destroy-the-word-'und dept

Chris Sevier, the Nashville attorney* who sued Apple back in July for failing to prevent him from accessing porn on his iPhone (citing unfair competition and breach of marital contract — apparently, Mrs. Sevier can’t keep up with the seductive wiles of thousands of interchangeable “21-year-old porn stars”), has decided to return to the public eye with another baffling legal filing. This time, Sevier is targeting A&E for cutting ties with Duck Dynasty figurehead Phil Robertson** over his anti-gay remarks delivered earlier this month.

* The term “attorney” is used loosely here. As a whip smart and deadly handsome commenter pointed out back in July, Sevier’s license to practice law has been temporarily revoked and placed on “disability inactive status,” which basically means the court finds him (at this point) too mentally incompetent to represent others in the legal arena.

** Despite Robertson’s name being all over the news and Sevier a self-avowed “member” of Robertson’s “church,” Sevier misspells his name as “Roberson” dozens of times throughout the filing.

Sevier’s 92-page filing is a heavily-illustrated half-rant that seeks injunctive relief for Chris Sevier, who feels he too will be “unfairly discriminated against” (like Phil Robertson) because of his religious beliefs. (Obviously, he can’t represent Robertson, what with being short both Robertson’s permission and a license to practice law in Tennessee.) For added fun, Sevier also lists GLAAD, Wilson Cruz (actor and member of GLAAD) and President Barack Obama as defendants. [All misspellings and grammatical errors are from the original.]

Like Mr. Roberson, I have a continuing economic expectation with the Defendants, and I now because of their reckless decision without due process, I myself directly have the reasonable apprehension of being discriminated against under the “chilling effect doctrine.” This fear of inevitable discrimination for being a Christian, who ardently opposes something as despicable as homosexual conduct gives rise to a claim under 28 U.S.C. 2201 against the Defendants, who are obviously furthering the “pro-gay” agenda through their “symbolic” and “joint” relationship with the Obama administration, which has reduced itself to the poster child of poor leadership. It was not by accident that President Obama felt “compelled” to inject himself in this controversy after the fact to try to reverse the damage caused by his backfiring social agenda that blatantly affronts the will of God.

Sevier’s one saving grace is that he doesn’t approach this as a First Amendment issue like many others have. Instead, he presents A&E’s actions as a violation of the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act — discrimination based on religion.

In response, A&E took adverse administration action against him without due process, discriminating against him, and members of our organization for beliefs that we hold as sacred and self-evident knowing that Mr. Robertson legally classifies as a “public figure.” A&E took these measures in step to further a political initiative acting under the color of a state actor to send a chilling effect to Christians to further a “hot button” political matter. It was not by accident that President Obama involved himself directly in this matter, speaking out against after the fact that engaged in per se discrimination and “hypocrisy.”

Now, part of Sevier’s argument hinges on Obama’s supposed involvement in this debacle. According to him, Obama’s choice to “inject” himself into this debate makes A&E a “state actor,” and as such, its actions are unconstitutional. The only problem with this — and it’s a major problem — is that this supposed “injection” never happened. Sevier quotes an entire article he found online, supposedly featuring President Obama calling for Phil Robertson’s reinstatement. (A screenshot of this article can be found in the attached exhibits, half of which have been attached upside down.)

On December 19, 2013, Calling suspension of ‘Duck Dynasty’ patriarch Phil Robertson “a chilling crackdown on free speech in an artistic community that should value individual expression,” President Barack Obama urged the Arts Entertainment network to reinstate Robertson immediately, and to apologize for its “hypocrisy.” (see exhibit)

President Obama stated: “There are no bigger fans of Duck Dynasty than Michele and me. . . .and while I have my disagreements with Mr. Robertson’s Views on homosexuality, as expressed in GQ magazine, I’ll defend with my last breath Robertson’s right to express those views…”

The post he quotes appears in the Chat section of Free Republic. It is tagged with “humor” and “satire” as can clearly be seen in the screenshot. The original post appeared at ScrappleFace, a conservative humor site that contains “thousands of satirical articles” written by site owner Scott Ott. In real life, President Obama has made no statement on Robertson’s quotes or A&E’s reaction.

This matters little to Sevier, who states the following:

The significance of President Obama’s involvement in this controversy shows that under the current political climate in this country was acting under the color of state action when it took adverse administrative action against Mr. Roberson without due process.

Except that this NEVER HAPPENED.

Once the court addresses this issue, Sevier’s case will be gutted. Not that it isn’t already pretty much just a shell already, seeing as Sevier is seeking an injunction to ensure that he won’t be persecuted in the future for his religious beliefs. (Which aren’t really “religious beliefs” as much as they are personal beliefs being propped up by convenient pull quotes from the Bible…)

Sevier’s rambling wreck of a lawsuit stumps for Rick Santorum’s Christian TV network, calls pro-gay rights activism racism, name drops both Bill Maher and Ke$ha, and uses his military career as a flag-waving place to make logical leaps from.

It is also been the Obama administrations overt policies to persecution Christians. As a combat Army Officer and member of the United States Judge Advocate Core, who served in an 06 capacity (Full Bird Colonel*) during operation Iraqi Freedom, I can personally attest to seeing Obama’s pro-gay-self-justification activity play out first-hand. The repeal of “don’t ask don’t tell” and making “proselytizing illegal” in the military were just the first steps in the quest to convert America from a “Christian nation” into a “gay one,” elevating mans Ways over God’s.

* Sevier’s attached filing seeking reinstatement directly contradicts this claim of “bird colonel” rank, pointing out that he topped out at First Lieutenant.

As further “evidence,” Sevier quotes indie rock darlings The Postal Service…

So, in turning to a secular rock band other than* ZZ top, Death Cab’s side project, The Postal Service, release a single “Such Great Heights.” The lyrics read, “God himself did make us into corresponding shapes, like puzzel pieces from the clay.” One does not have to have much in the way of common sense to use their own two eyes and see that a males body parts correspond with a females.As these lyrics indicate, God obvious created “the round peg to go into the round hole” so to speak. When these corresponding shapes are put together, such a union has the potential to be life giving, not only metaphysically, nerochemically, emotionally, socially, but literally.

* Well, if we must…

compares homosexuals to a variety of human debris, including drug addicts and *gasp* skate boarders…

The Pope encouraged the body of Christ to welcome homosexuals into the church in the same Way that the church is expressly commanded in the Bible to embrace prisoners, prostitutes, drug addicts, thieves, rabble rousers, adulterers, skate boarders, EDM singers, porn addicts, rednecks, and all other types.

points out how A&E and Obama are almost literally Hitler…

The only way to stop the Christians is to persecute and them suppress them into silence. That is what Himmler planned to do and that is precisely what did when it took unilateral adverse action against brother Robertson. This is also exactly what the Obama Administration’s agenda has set out to accomplish in a direct and round about way*…

* ‘direct and round about way?’

uses made-up words as scientific evidence…

This does not leave room for the idea that members of the same sex should be molesting each other, which serves to not only deplete oxytosen levels but causes them to miss out on a prospective life giving relationship that with the potential of being marked with God’s favor.

and points out that mainstream America has no interest in ungodly, gay-loving TV stars.

The Defendants needs to take note of the fact that nobody wants to buy an American Hoggers T-shirt. Upon information and belief, there is not a single person in the Universe wearing the “Kardasian family” t-shirt. But the merchandise in stores like Walmart that associate with the Roberson family continues to fly off the selves. This is because we are spiritual beings, and millions of Americans connect with the Roberson family and what they represent.

Sevier also grants himself multiple opportunities to fully explore his persecution complex:

It should be abundantly clear to this Court by now given other controversies I have been involved in that I am both a whistle blower and no strange to persecution for my religious beliefs. [As the Court has seen in pre-existing lawsuits, I have received actual death threats, after demanding that Apple and Hewlett-Packard comply with the laws that prohibit the selling of obscene pornography to minors.]

He also trots out some advanced sexual theory that puts gay sex in the same neighborhood as bestiality while proposing that people can switch teams by simply having orgasms with the opposite sex. (And leaves everyone unsatisfied by dangling an unclosed bracket…)

Homosexual men and women can become conditioned to desire members of the opposite sex because of classic conditioning that is reinforced by orgasm through sexual encounter with the member of the same sex. This principle could apply to beastiality as well, if one were to use a animal as a sex object. [There are studies cases of men who prefer a blow up dolls to a real woman because they get conditioned to having intercourse with a blow up doll – causing them to miss out on a superior prospective life giving relationship with a tangible member of the opposite sex…

He also takes partial credit for the UK’s stupid porn-filtering system.

In June of 2013, I filed a lawsuit against Hewlett Packard and Apple to make them comply with the laws that prohibit retailers from selling smut to minors that can be found on the books of every state in our union for good cause. That lawsuit made international news for good reason. The evidence* shows that partly in response to the discussion that I started, the British Prime Minister began championing my proposed solutions to make it harder to access pornography online, which would push our world back towards innocence. The evidence demonstrates through studies, like those released by the Withspoon Institute, that online pornography is proliferating the demand side of sex trafficking, child pornography, and reaping havoc** on intimacy, marriages, and the quality of life for millions of Americans.

* You keep using that word…
** As they sew, so shall they reap…

The insanity doesn’t stop with the complaint, though. As an added bonus, Sevier has attached a petition to have his license reinstated — a petition that leaves no bridge unburnt.

I am not in the mood to be violated any long by Tennessee Supreme Court justices, who are not only past their prime for practicing law in terms of their age and career wise, but who have acted immorally by ratifying discrimination against a combat veteran, engaged in libel per se, and implicated themselves in abuse of process and malicious prosecution…

Since the Tennessee Supreme Court members are literally acting like children, I have the right to expose you as such to the public so that you will not be re-elected to the bench. The Tennessee Supreme Court has demonstrated contempt for service members and for HIPPA in these matters. Anyone with common sense can see that I have been completely violated by the Tennessee Supreme Court’s actions given the pending lawsuit against the Board members and the Tennessee Supreme Court’s acknowledgement that it reached its decision on medical records that were confidential…

To be fair, Sevier doesn’t seem to have much interest (or much hope) of being reinstated. This may be mostly sour grapes, though. He seems mainly interested in getting the final word.

I want to be able to say that I deactivated my TN law license out of protest because I do not want to have anything to do with such a dishonorable entity. I also want my status switch to remove the public stigma that the TNSC helped create in conjunction John Rich* that I am a “mentally ill stalker,” so that my efforts to fight the hell out sex trafficking and child porn will not be interfered with, given the pending Apple/HP lawsuit in Federal Court.

*Some evidence does exist that lends credence to Rich’s claim.

Sevier also threatens the court with the combined weight of his recording industry connections, something that will undoubtedly force it to continue ignoring his requests.

[I] have worked in the music business. I will use every resource I have in that industry to bring accountability to the individuals on the bench making this decision through the Court of public opinion* You’ll find yourselves outmatched here.* I’ll even humbly ask Rolling Stone Magazine to cover these matters, along with my simultaneous musical developments in EMD** (that’s electronic dance music for those who are too out of touch to know)… Additionally, I’ll ask these musical publications to keep track of my Apple lawsuit along with a serious of other ones that are bound to make international news once again. I am presenting a new kind of “rock star,” one who not only makes music, but who lashes out publicly against people in positions of authority who elect to misuse it for personal reasons…

Normally, I have great respect for authority. It is a privilege to be submissive…***

* Whoa, we’ve got a badass here.
** Well, not when it’s abbreviated that way…
*** Or not.

Sevier points out early in his novel-length filing that he’s going to use “layman’s terms” in order to make everything abundantly clear to both the court and other readers. That’s a nice thought, but I would imagine his use of layman’s terms has more to do with a limited legal vocabulary than a desire to connect with the “common man.” This is the same man who claimed in his lawsuit against Apple that he accidentally typed in “fuckbook” rather than “facebook,” a finger fumble that led directly to his porn addiction — an addiction that is totally the fault of Apple, HP… anyone else who isn’t Chris Sevier.

Now, Sevier’s worried that his religious anti-gay beliefs will keep him from successfully licensing his next album of “dubstep-electronic-trance-house-hardstep” songs to production companies like A&E or Disney. As a member of Robertson’s church (more accurately described in his filing as being a member of Robertson’s church’s Facebook group), Sevier can only look forward to a future of gay marriage and declining income. And it’s all Obama’s fault.

Filed Under: barack obama, chris sevier, duck dynasty, lawsuits, phil robertson, porn, religious persecution