Ted Cruz highlights plight of gay marriage opponents in new video

MSNBC ^ | 07/21/2015 | Eric Levitz

[SoConPubbie]

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is placing the debate over “religious freedom” front and center of his Republican presidential campaign with the release of a new campaign video Tuesday highlighting the “incredible journey” of an Iowa couple who refused to host a gay marriage in their church.

Dick and Betty Odgaard own and operate a bistro inside a converted church in Grimes, Iowa. The Christian couple began renting out the space as a full service wedding venue in 2008. In the video, Cruz and the Odgaards fondly reminisce about all the beautiful weddings the venue hosted – back before a gay couple asked to rent the space in 2013 and put an end to the festivities.

The Odgaards informed the gay couple that they did not wish to host a wedding that was contrary to their faith. The next day, the couple filed a lawsuit against the venue, and news of the dispute went viral.

“It was devastating to be told that we were bigots,” Betty Odgaard told Cruz. “I just kept thinking, they don’t know us. They don’t know what’s in our hearts. We have no hatred toward gay people.”

Iowa legalized gay marriage in 2009 and added sexual orientation and gender identity protections to its civil rights code in 2007, making it illegal for public businesses to decline service to individuals on the basis of their sexuality.

The Odgaards settled with the couple, paying them $5,000 and agreeing to stop discriminating against same-sex couples. Barred by their faith from participating in gay weddings, the Odgaards were forced to stop hosting weddings altogether, rendering their business unsustainable. The bistro plans to close by the end of August.

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[SoConPubbie]

"If we must have an enemy at the head of Government, let it be one whom we can oppose, and for whom we are not responsible, who will not involve our party in the disgrace of his foolish and bad measures." - Alexander Hamilton "We don't intend to turn the Republican Party over to the traitors in the battle just ended. We will have no more of those candidates who are pledged to the same goals as our opposition and who seek our support. Turning the Party over to the so-called moderates wouldn’t make any sense at all." -- President Ronald Reagan "A thing moderately good is not so good as it ought to be. Moderation in temper is always a virtue; but moderation in principle is always a vice." - Thomas Paine 1792 "It does not take a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men." - Samuel Adams "If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen." - Samuel Adams

[SoConPubbie]

    Ted Cruz Ping!

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    CRUZ or LOSE!

[ConservativeDude]

I fear we are all fighting a losing battle on this issue.

I think a slight majority of Americans do not believe that religious freedom trumps the “right” not to be discriminated against.

The fact that ANY American believes that is depressing, and the fact that I think a small majority actually believe that now means...well...the Constitution is dead. But that’s not exactly news now, is it

[cripplecreek]

Never EVER surrender.

[SoConPubbie]

Never EVER surrender.

I think Samuel Adams said it best:

"If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen." - Samuel Adams

[stephenjohnbanker]

“I think Samuel Adams said it best:

“If ye love wealth better than liberty,....”

Well, now that we explained the entire leadership in the Republican party, how do we stop them? Voting for “lesser evil “ has left us with nothing but evil.

[stephenjohnbanker]

And YES..

NEVER surrender!!