Why should we allow Christian business owners to discriminate against same-sex wedding CEREMONIES and SERVICES? Isn't this a civil rights violation?
Many Christian business owners are not comfortable with participating in the celebration of same-sex weddings. Those trying to force the Christian business owners to perform these services say it is a civil rights issue; therefore, business owners have to do it. A comparison is often made, saying business owners today (denying same-sex wedding services) are just like racist business owners that didn't serve black people (before the civil rights movement).
Businesses that refused service to black PEOPLE did so because the PERSON was offensive to the business owner. This was an example of practices that were contrary to our country's principles (the Constitution).
The Declaration of Independence says, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all MEN are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator..." This phrase in the Declaration of Independence is the basis for Civil Rights; more specifically, "all men (PEOPLE) are created equal. This is why even if a PERSON (black, white, arab, asian, etc.) is offensive to you, our laws that protect our civil rights mandate you treat that person equally even if your belief is that they are not equal. In other words The Constitution trumps some people's religion that believes others outside their religion are infidels (second class citizens) and do not deserve equal rights. This shows how certain religions that do not view all men as equal are not compatible with our Constitution. But I digress; let's conclude this matter.
Conclusion:
The Declaration of Independence says, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all MEN are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator..." This phrase in the Declaration of Independence is the basis for civil rights; more specifically, “all men (PEOPLE) are created equal (i.e. bear the image of God and it is this 'image' that all humans share that makes us all equal).” Thus, civil rights apply to PERSONHOOD; therefore, discrimination based on the personhood of an individual would be a civil rights violation.
Example: "Get out of my store! I don't serve YOU PEOPLE (black, homosexual, etc.)."
Example: "Get out of my store! I don't serve YOU PEOPLE (black, homosexual, etc.)."
What our civil rights do NOT imply is "all ACTIONS or CAUSES are equal, that all ACTIONS and CAUSES are endowed by their Creator." Therefore, civil rights do NOT apply to ACTIONS/CAUSES. Causes, actions, services, and ceremonies reflect ideas—ideas that many will not agree with. All causes, actions, services, and ceremonies are NOT equal! So, if the discrimination is based on a service, ceremony, cause, message or action that violates the business owner’s conscience then that is a legitimate discrimination because causes and actions are NOT civil rights.
Example: "I would love to sell you cupcakes and pastries for your birthday party, but I cannot provide a cake (or other products/services) for your same-sex welding ceremony." Translation: "As my fellow man/woman made in the image of God, I would love to serve you; however, I don't want to participate in desacralizing that which I consider sacred--marriage."
The discrimination in the first example was against the personhood of the individual; thus, a civil rights violation. The discrimination in the second example, however, was against the ceremony and NOT the PERSON--notice the owner was willing to serve the PERSON with their products and services as long as the service requested is not having the owner participate in any way shape or form to desacralize that which the owner believes is sacred.
I could see the legitimacy of the complaint (of civil rights being violated) if homosexuals just came in for a birthday cake, or photography services for a birthday party and the owner screamed, “Get out of here, I don’t serve queers!” But that is not what is going on here. Christian bakery owners, photographers, and pastors are being forced to perform services to a CAUSE that is HIGHLY offensive to their values. Life and marriage is sacred to Christians and we do not want to contribute in any way shape or form to the celebration of desacralizing that which is still sacred to us. Homosexual advocates either don't understand this distinction or they are purposefully distorting and conflating the two to make it look like the latter is a civil rights violation so that their coercion can continue undetected.
Example: "I would love to sell you cupcakes and pastries for your birthday party, but I cannot provide a cake (or other products/services) for your same-sex welding ceremony." Translation: "As my fellow man/woman made in the image of God, I would love to serve you; however, I don't want to participate in desacralizing that which I consider sacred--marriage."
The discrimination in the first example was against the personhood of the individual; thus, a civil rights violation. The discrimination in the second example, however, was against the ceremony and NOT the PERSON--notice the owner was willing to serve the PERSON with their products and services as long as the service requested is not having the owner participate in any way shape or form to desacralize that which the owner believes is sacred.
I could see the legitimacy of the complaint (of civil rights being violated) if homosexuals just came in for a birthday cake, or photography services for a birthday party and the owner screamed, “Get out of here, I don’t serve queers!” But that is not what is going on here. Christian bakery owners, photographers, and pastors are being forced to perform services to a CAUSE that is HIGHLY offensive to their values. Life and marriage is sacred to Christians and we do not want to contribute in any way shape or form to the celebration of desacralizing that which is still sacred to us. Homosexual advocates either don't understand this distinction or they are purposefully distorting and conflating the two to make it look like the latter is a civil rights violation so that their coercion can continue undetected.
If this issue is still not clear to you, consider the following examples of discrimination and ask yourself, "should we force these business owners to perform these services?" If not, why not? How exactly are these examples appropriate forms of discrimination while the Christian business owner's form of discrimination against same-sex wedding CEREMONIES/SERVICES is considered inappropriate?
- Do you believe a Jewish baker should be forced to bake a cake with a swastika on it for a German customer? After all, a business shouldn’t be able to discriminate against race or national origin right? And since it's a product (cake) that he already provides for others doesn't that mean he has to provide it to everyone?
- When a Satan worshiper comes in a bakery and requests a cake with an inscription that gives some praise to the devil, must any bakery owner (Christian, Muslim, or Jewish ) make that cake?
- When a Satan worshiper wants a Christian photographer to photograph their worship of Satan event, do you believe the Christian photographer must photograph that event? After all, as CNN anchor Chris Cuomo said, "then why doesn't the photographer just not go into business...if you don't want to treat everybody the same way, then don't go into business."
- Do you believe a homosexual caterer should be forced to cater a Christian's "support the marriage God designed (one man one woman)" event?
- How about a homosexual t-shirt printer? Should they be forced to print shirts for Christians that say, "Jesus loves homosexuals, but he wants them to repent of their sinful acts of homosexuality?" Do you believe the homosexual t-shirt printer should have to make those shirts? After all, if he refuses, that’s “DISCRIMINATION!” If not, why the double standard towards Christians?
Do you believe this what the founders had in mind when they wrote the Declaration of Independence and the First Amendment? Of course not! For more on 'appropriate vs inappropriate discrimination' please see our blog entry on the subject.