I knew it had been awhile since I had posted, but I hadn't realized it had been almost a year!! So much has happened!! Let me rant on the most recent fiasco, and I'll try to catch up after that.
There has been a spate of gay couples trying to get Christian businesses to make cakes or photograph their "weddings". I say spate...it's probably only two or three, but since the media reports and reports on them, it makes it seem like a lot. That's a whole other rant, the way the media blows things WAY out of proportion - like rape, abduction, evil Republicans, Israel being mean to the Palestinians - but I digress.
Anywho...Indiana just passed a Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The federal government passed a similar act back in the 1990s and I think I read that 29 other states have one. The media is up in arms about this one, though, because it's different. Indiana codifies the idea of a BUSINESS being allowed to turn away those that it might disagree with because of religious beliefs. It also allows businesses to fight back, even if fighting back is again a person, not the government. Apparently that restriction irritates those who dislike this bill.
The reason the part about the business is in there is because of the Hobby Lobby case against the federal government and the requirement that it pay for the morning-after pill and IUDs for its employees. Hobby Lobby refused on religious grounds - and WON.
I've seen articles and opinion pieces written all over the place. "Jesus ate with prostitutes, so you should bake the cake." "Gays will be discriminated against and it's not fair."
As a reminder, these businesses are not saying they won't bake a cake for homosexuals. They aren't saying they won't take their picture. What they're saying is that they will not participate in a ceremony that is completely contrary to their religious beliefs. The outrage out there is mind-boggling. Apple doesn't want to do business in Indiana anymore. Yet, they do business in Tehran. Do you have any idea what happens to gay people in Iran? They're executed. Pretty sure being turned down for a cake is less brutal than being executed.
Yes, Jesus ate with prostitutes. But He never once brought them a condom (I know, I know, they didn't exist then!). He never said, "go ahead, keep having sex outside marriage - it's fine." What He did was love them, while making very plain that their sin was NOT OKAY. He certainly didn't help any of them commit their sin.
Here's the thing. I think you should be able to turn anyone away that you want from your business. I also believe you should be able to handle the consequences - whatever they are. I don't think it's okay that businesses that turn away gay marriage business should be threatened with death or arson or any other of the nasty things that so-called "tolerant" gays are doing.
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