Posted on 04/12/2015 7:41:10 AM PDT by kanawa
Christians to Gays: We'll Accept Your Business and Donate Your Money to 'Traditional Pro-Family Lobby'
While gay activists are attacking Christian bakeries and wedding planners and filing lawsuits to put them out of business because of their religious beliefs, a Catholic priest has come up with a simple solution that, if adopted nationally, likely could end much of the gay and left-wing offensive in this realm.
Simply, accept all business from gays and tell them that the money will be donated to a traditional pro-family lobby or organization. And if your business is catering, for instance, show up at the gay wedding wearing a Cross necklace, a Bible-pin on your lapel, and a Bible verse embroidered on your uniform that expresses your morality, such as Mark 10:6-7, "But at the beginning of creation God made them male and female. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife."
As Fr. John Zuhlsdorf explains in his Apr. 2 blog post, "It’s time for everyone to calm down. We need a new approach. Think about this. When some homosexual couple comes to your Christian business for services at their immoral event, don’t panic. Go ahead and take their business!"
"Then explain what is going to happen next," says Fr. Z on his popular blog page.
"Tell them that the food and services will be just fine. And then inform them that all of the money that they pay for the services will be donated to a traditional pro-family lobby."
"If it is something like catering, where your employees have to be there to provide services, tell them that all your people will smile, be professional, and everyone of them will be wearing crucifixes and have the Holy Family embroidered on their uniforms," says Fr. Z.
"Then show them pictures of your uniforms," he writes. "When the truck pulls up, speakers will be playing Immaculate Mary. Show them the truck and play the music."
“Oh, you would be offended by that? I’m so sorry," notes Fr. Z. "You approached us because we are Christians. Right? We are happy to provide services for you and we are grateful that you chose to come to our Christian catering business. We just want to be of help.”
The priest continued, "Then tell them that you will take out an ad in the paper to let everyone know what you did with their money, thanking them by name for their business so that you could make the contribution."
"I suspect this approach, if adopted far and wide, would put an end to attacks on Christian businesses," said Fr. Z.
Fr. John Zuhlsdorf is a Catholic priest of the diocese of Velletri-Segni, which is a diocese in Italy close to Rome, headed by Bishop Vincenzo Apicella. Fr. Zuhlsdorf was ordained a priest by St. Pope John Paul II in 1991.
Fr. Zuhlsdorf currently resides in Madison, Wisc., where he serves as president of the Tridentine Mass Society of the Diocese of Madison, under Bishop Robert C. Morlino.
Then please read the Acts of the Apostles.
I don’t know what religion you are, but this thread is in the context of attacks against Christianity, so that’s why I suggested that.
I am definitely in the ‘If One owns a business, job 1 should be to make a profit and better your lot in life. Money is green, should not matter where it comes from’.
OTOH, it (should be) is none of the Governments business who I deal with etc...
Reminds me of the toy store owner who happened to be a Jewish Guy and his Family were vacationing in Florida for the month of February, getting away from the Cold NY winters.
While sitting there the son asked how they could afford such lavish vacations, for as long as he could remember.
“Dec 25 son, Dec 25”.
The son, a little more enlightened than Dad said “but that is Christmas Dad. We are Jewish. We don’t believe in Christmas. That is what you have been telling me for years”.
“That is right son. WE don’t believe in Christmas BUT that doesn’t stop the people that do from buying their toys and presents in MY STORE”.
Wha?
I am responding to the comment, ‘refuse service’
One cannot Not without going to court. A priest tells how one can provide service and practice good faith and perhaps stop the harassment
I’m thinking people really want to not provide service due to religious objections. But perhaps there is hate out there
When I do business w gays I m hoping to also attract them to conversion but I’m not going to condone, listen to not approve of their lifestyle. I can’t participate in a wedding ceremony. Won’t even attend one as an invitee but that’s in the tenets of my religion
If I have to go to court to prove all that I lose my business
Through expenses. I’ll probably win even w activist judge it’s clearly stated in catechism. Constitution protects that. Even if I do win I lose the business
So I don’t want to go to court
This seems like good alternative.
The gays would sue the caterer for inciting “hate speech” if they showed up with crosses and religious messages.
We need to be more understanding. They say it’s almost impossible to find a wedding planner, florist, or baker who is gay/
So businesses are compelled to render service? That’s not legal either, but that’s what the totalitarians are pushing for. The First Amendment was intended to make such cases unpresentable to courts in the first place.
Really? Because I can see it as another way for queers to target a business, flood the business with no profit work. How long can someone stay in business?
Then not only the First but the Fourteenth Amendment ought to be invoked. Hate crime laws are a subversion of the latter amendment’s Equal Protection clause, just for starters.
Every business that has tried this and gone to court over it have lost, every Christian business has lost in court and most have lost their business after the bad press and attorney fees.
A poster on the Memories Pizza page quipped that if a business refused
to do business with sinners they would soon be out of business.
To be clear of where I stand...
I support an owner’s choice to not participate in a ceremony
that infringes on his right to freely express his religious convictions.
I also support an owner’s right to choose the tactic outlined in this article.
It will be interesting to see the result if someone puts this approach to the test.
Okay...and what if they sue you into bankruptcy? What if they ruin you financially? What then? With the courts the way they are, chances are that anyone who fights back will lose.
At that point, what are your options?
Paul’s concern in the meat offered to idols controversy was the cost it could have to a weak conscience, i.e., some Christian who couldn’t get past the idea it was just meat and the idols were nothing. For Paul, it was more important to protect the conscience of one for whom Christ died than it was to have access to that meat.
Likewise, a cake is just a cake, and nothing wrong with people eating it, here there or anywhere. But as long as gay “weddings” are essentially a form of attacking and denigrating the institution God gave us, anyone participating in such, while they may be able to live with it within their own conscience, must also consider the consciences of all who would remain faithful to Christ.
I originally thought something like this might be a good idea, and there are ways to do this that are so aggressively Christian it might even be effective, like providing totally Christianized catering to all customers without distinction. But at the end of the day, if someone in the back row of the church who isn’t as “sophisticated” as you spiritually sees this, and thinks it means you are sanctioning gay marriage, and follows what he thinks is your lead into that acceptance, you’ve tripped the wire of offending Christ in the matter. Better to stand and fight that to let your “cleverness” contribute to the downfall of a fellow believer.
Peace,
SR
Not really.
You’re still giving up your values by PARTICIPATING, promoting, and endorsing a hoax.
Are there ATHEIST photographers who’d be sickened by 2 men kissing?
You have hit on my plan. Mr G and I had this very conversation last night. Yesterday I did a wedding cake for a friend of my son. The minister was from the Universal Life (pretend) Church. Our discussion was how is this any different than serving a gay wedding?
Both are against my Christian beliefs, but I had no way of knowing that this wedding would be conducted by a pretend pastor. I would have no way of knowing if a wedding was to be conducted by a Wiccan.... or any other non Christian ceremony. What about Christians I don't agree with? If I am to stand on only serving people who don't offend my religion, should there be a religious test? Of course not.
Since I am a prayer warrior, my solution is to pray over every cake I do that whoever even takes a bite will come into a right relationship with Jesus. My cake may be the only open door given to God to allow Him to work in someone's life. Prayer works.
If my client is obviously sticking their finger in my eye (i.e. gay) then I might tell them I am praying over the cake and for all. If they believe in God, it may change their minds, if not.... oh well.... my God lives!
Well, there were in Russia, which is why Stalin’s USSR re-banned homosexuality in 1933.
Because that would be praying in vain, what with your actions not matching your beliefs.
One thing that Alinsky never said is that once the “other side” sticks by its own book of rules, the radical loses.
Ping
Think about Titus 3:10 for a moment.
accept all business from gays
No businesses are saying they don’t want to sell anything to homosexuals. What they are saying is that they don’t want to be forced to be part of their sinful lifestyle.
If you sell a cupcake to a homosexual you just sold someone a cupcake. If you make a “wedding” cake for a homosexual “wedding” you have become in a small way, a part of the lifestyle. You had to put two grooms on the cake. This is considered offensive to many people, while selling the cupcake is not. Likewise, if you are a photographer and are required to photo a homosexual “wedding” you have become part of it & I’d hate to think of all the offensive things you would be required to photograph.
Simply put, these businesses are not hanging up signs in the door saying no homosexuals, they just don’t want to be dragged into the lifestyle.
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