Posted on 08/12/2013 7:03:55 PM PDT by Morgana
GRIMES, IA, August 12, 2013 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A Christian couple is facing a state complaint, business cancellations, and vulgar, harassing, and threatening e-mail messages after refusing to rent out a business facility for a gay “wedding.”
Dick and Betty Odgaard said they could not in good conscience allow a homosexual couple to use their business, the Görtz Haus Gallery, to conduct the ceremony itself. Betty Odgaard Betty Odgaard
“To us, [marriage] is a sacrament,” Betty Odgaard said, that exists only “between a man and woman.”
She told Billy Hallowell of The Blaze their rejection was “totally a faith-based issue,” adding the couple would be happy to serve the homosexuals “in any other way,” besides being the site on which they traded vows.
The couple quickly filed a legal complaint before the Iowa Human Rights Commission, saying that state law forbids any public venue from denying the use of its premises on the basis of sexual orientation.
As the story of their denial broke, frightening messages began filling up the Odgaard's inbox, the couple says.
“F--k you, f--k your God, f--k your religion," said one message from an angry gay rights activist. The same writer enlarged upon his thoughts, adding, “You are mean, rude, selfish, mother f---er racist sons of b---hes from hell.”
The family has suffered financial loss for its traditional stance, as well. Other couples have canceled their ceremonies.
The Grimes, Iowa, location served as a Lutheran church for nearly 65 years and is a popular destination for couples tying the knot.
Same-sex “marriage” has been legal in Iowa since April 3, 2009, when the state Supreme Court unanimously declared its defense of marriage law violated the constitution.
Lawsuits and legal actions accusing Christians of violating “anti-discrimination” statutes have risen in proportion to the number of states and localities that have toyed with redefining marriage.
Click "like" if you want to defend true marriage.
Last year, a judge ruled that a New Jersey retreat house affiliated with the United Methodist Church could not refuse its services for a gay “marriage.”
Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson pressed charges against elderly Christian florist Barronelle Stutzman after she refused to sell flowers for a gay“marriage” in March.
Christian photographers Elaine and Jonathan Huguenin were convicted of violating the New Mexico Human Rights Act after they declined to photograph a same-sex “commitment” ceremony.
Rasmussen pollsters found earlier this year that 85 percent of Americans believe people should be able to opt out of participating in same-sex “marriage” ceremonies if they so choose.
Being black isn’t a sin. Being a sodomite is. The state is now effectively forcing people to violate their conscience because a couple of fudgepacking libtards couldn’t be bothered to find one of probably dozens of other businesses that would’ve celebrated their sin with them.
This country is going to hell.
bump
The way out is simple: Rent them the newly decorated hall featuring very prominent banners with bible quotes.
Quotes about forgiveness, certain types of sin, hell, Jesus can forgive anything, contact information about ex-gay Christian groups, etc.
Are there any ex-gay groups left?
I know they finally destroyed Exodus International
racist? you mean you can change your race by going in the out door??
if these people do not have the right to choose who, when and where they perform their business... they are no more then slaves
it’s their right to choose
anyone attacking them for it is attempting to deny their rights
that kind of sums up their sexual habits as well...
they dont call it PRIDE...for nothing!
thats all they HAVE...
IMO, their goal is to be able to force churches to allow the ceremonies be performed and celebrations (receptions) to be held on church property. The state has no right to force a business to go against its conscience.
“Why do the homos insist on going where they are not wanted?”
Well of course they deliberately target people to make a point. That is the case here.
That is the difference between a homosexual and gay person. The latter isn’t militant about it and keeps it in the bedroom. The former is in you face about it, even if they get a extra look while holding hands in public for example.
I’ve seen a gay couple holding hands in public, I noticed it, and maybe looked twice however noting was said by either party. When I or others noticed a homosexual “couple” holding hands in a mall and they realized the extra attention, they yelled “We’re gay! You got a problem whit that, f***er!?” into the crowd.
So as to force their lifestyle on everyone else.
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Rig up an electrical charge that will come down from the ceiling and “smite” the SOBs.
What say the churches in the area? With whom do they side?
If they are silent, why?
A part of their problem with the state is the following imo. The Odgaards evidently don’t know their constitutional protections well enough to get pro-gay rights activists off of their backs.
More specifically, not only did the Founding States protect religious expression as evidenced by the 1st Amendment, but the states have never amended the Constitution to protect so-called gay rights.
So what we have in this case is 14th Amendment infringement by a state, evidenced by some state law which is going too far in abridging the Odgaard’s 1st Amendment protected freedom of religious expression.
It is to normalize their behavior-—expose Christian children to the sick ideology-—protecting the innocence of children is essential for normal sexual identity formation.
It is like the rotten apple in a barrel-—just by being there-—it rots everything around it—puts sick, warped ideas into little children.....and will eventually create a Sodom and Gomorrah.
That is why they had to get homosexual “marriage”, so Christians could not prevent young children from hearing about their perversion-—to normalize sodomy, like it is in Afghanistan and used to be in Ancient civilizations. The Postmodernist/Atheists have to flip Christian Ethics to destroy the concept from Christian Ethics-— “Individual Rights from God”-—and totally destroy the ideas in our Constitution (for the children) and for a collective society.
Marxist have to erase all Traditions and ideas that refer to the Natural Family/Mother and Father/Jesus/God the Father—for the NWO and to make total slaves for the State.
There's nothing "New" about Satan's Old World Order that is always anxious to reinstate Paganism.
A nation that thumbs it's nose at God by approving of the sacrifice of children on the alter of Eros and Moloch will be given over to a reprobate mind and no amount false, feel good, "Christianity" will make any difference. We're looking at what Scripture says is the consequence of our own actions, not the unfolding stages of something on the horizon.
And make no mistake about it, any group repeating the lie that abortion thinly disguised as contraception is a substitute for self-control and moral responsibility isn't Christian.
If they bragged that they went looking for a place that would not serve them, wouldn’t that set some sort of defense for the christian shop owners?
I mean, as business owner I can choose not to serve anyone even if I just don’t like them
We need to figure out a strategery that works against this
If they want to target Christian businesses to drive them out of business then force them to spend all their money doing it, somehow.
Make the cost of this tactic too prohibitive. Any Ideas?
IMHO, it is not the government's job to force anyone to take anyone else's business.
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