Refusing service due to religious beliefs?

2011-04-05T10:39:00.002-03:00

So I've been quietly reading news articles and comments about an incident that recently transpired in town, I'll post links so you can acquaint yourselves.
http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/florist-under-fire-for-refusing-flowers-for-gay-wedding/
and this next link is the Christian defense to this:
http://dannylirette.net/?p=85

It actually only became a huge deal once the wedding planner decided to make a huge deal out of it, the brides involved kept it quiet, and despite what was published in the news, the entire e-mail to them was polite.
Once it got blown up, extremists from both sides got involved. My issue is mostly the defense.

My first reaction to hearing this on the news was simply "Wow".
No wonder so many people view Christians as haters and have a skewed view of Church.

So I'm going to break this down and address the issues stated.
Oh but before I do that, I do wanna state that I am a Christian and the same denomination as many of the ones who supported the actions.

So when I read the second link there, I'm reading that she was right in her actions of refusing service because homosexuality is a sin. Ok, So first of all, Yes the Bible does say that, and there are people out there that would argue that fact, but bottom line, it does say that in the old testament. but come on people if we're gonna use that for an excuse I have to point out it doesn't even make God's top ten list of sins! And I ask you to go with me to Sin #4 on said list. let's read it together, shall we?

'Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.'

Rut Roh .... I work on Sunday's sometimes I guess I better not order flowers from said shop. hmmm I don't have the best memory in the world but before this shop owner was a shop owner and worked in the local community seems to me I've seen her working on a Sunday before, just saying....

How can we take one sin out of the Bible and put more emphasis on it then others? I saw lots of Bible quotes when I was reading the comments, and I noticed something .... they were all old testament.
As Christians, what's the difference between us and other God believing faiths? Right, Jesus. So lets fast forward 1400 years and see what Jesus says about the commandments shall we?

the 10 Commandments were summed up in the New Testament at Matthew 22, when Jesus was confronted by the religious "experts" of the day:
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments" (Matthew 22:36-40).

Uhm, what does that second one say? Love your neighbor as yourself? you mean it doesn't say "Thou shall play God and judge and condemn others"? no, it tells us to love our neighbors.

I had to laugh at the irony when reading the comments on one of the articles, one of the supporters has the sign in name "wwjd", which begs the question, did any of them stop and consider what would Jesus have done?

Well how do I know what Jesus would have done? Well lets go to God's word and find out!

Matthew 7:1-5 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. ² For you will be treated as you treat others.^[y] The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.^[z] ³ “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye^[aa] when you have a log in your own?⁴ How can you think of saying to your friend,^[ab] ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? ⁵ Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.

I love that! It's one my favorite and most quoted passages.

Well ok Tina, fine, but surely Jesus wouldn't have condoned such behavior by being around it or providing flowers to such people.

hmmm, let's see....

Matthew 9:10-13 says ¹⁰And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. ¹¹And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? ¹²But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. ¹³But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Jesus didn't surround himself by the righteous, he hung out with the sinners.

But Tina, surely you cannot equate being gay with say working on Sundays? Oh but yes I can!

James 2:8-13 - ⁸ Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”^[d] ⁹ But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law. ¹⁰ For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws. ¹¹ For the same God who said, “You must not commit adultery,” also said, “You must not murder.”^[e] So if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law. ¹² So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free. ¹³ There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.

People, the ground is even at the foot of the cross. How can you condemn one group of people for one sin when you commit several sins yourself? Is this not the hypocrisy that we are so often accused of as Christians?

Jesus calls us to be witnesses, to love our neighbors, not judge them. Judgement is not our job, it is God's.

So do I think it was wrong to refuse service? It's not for me to say, for who am I to judge?

The final word: Brothers and Sisters please don't blame your hatred and intolerance on God, take ownership for your own actions.

The Elephant in the Room

Refusing service due to religious beliefs?