Posted on 04/03/2015 7:54:20 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
A high school golf coach in Indiana has been suspended after she threatened to burn down a local pizzeria when she heard its Christian owners say earlier this week that they'd refuse to cater gay weddings if asked to do so. The pizza shop has temporarily closed amid safety concerns after its owners received death threats this week.
After Gov. Mike Pence signed into law Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act last Thursday, the O'Connor family, which has owned Memories Pizza in Walkerton, Indiana, for over nine years, told a local ABC television news reporter on Tuesday that they agree with the new law and believe that it doesn't discriminate against homosexauls, as some claim.
Crystal O'Connor added that should a gay couple come in and want the pizzeria to cater their wedding, the restaurant would refuse to provide services for the event.
"If the gay couple was to come in and say that they wanted us to provide pizza for their wedding, we would have to say no," Crystal O'Connor told ABC 57 News reporter Alyssa Marino. "We are a Christian establishment."
"We're not discriminating against anyone — that's just our belief and anyone has the right to believe in anything," O'Connor added. "I do not think it is targeting gays. I don't think it's discrimination. [The law is] supposed to help people that have religious belief."
Kevin O'Connor, Crystal's father, told Marino that he feels that homosexuals "choose" to be gay.
"That lifestyle is something they choose. I choose to be heterosexual. They choose to be homosexual," O'Connor asserted. "Why should I be beat over the head to go along with something they choose?"
The O'Connor's comments drew the ire of many LGBT advocates and even caught the attention of Jess Dooley, a girls' golf coach at Concord High School in Elkhart, Indiana, who took to Twitter to voice her outrage and potentially incite violence upon the pizza shop.
"Who's going to Walkerton, IN to burn down #memoriespizza w me? Agree with #FreedomofReligionBill? 'That's a lifestyle they CHOOSE' Ignorant," Dooley tweeted from her since-deleted Twitter account.
On Wednesday, the school announced that Dooley was suspended indefinitely pending the results of a police investigation. The Walkerton Police Department issued a statement on the investigation and confirmed that Dooley could face charges.
"Questions have arisen based on Jessica Dooley's Twitter comment," the statement reads. "The Walkerton Police Department has finished an investigation into this statement and submitted a case to the St. Joseph County Prosecutors office for possible charging of harassment, intimidation and threats."
After receiving Dooley's threat and death threats, the O'Connors were forced to shut down their restaurant on Wednesday for safety reasons and are uncertain as to whether it will reopen.
"I don't know if we will reopen, or if we can, if it's safe to reopen," Crystal O'Connor told TheBlaze. "We're in hiding basically, staying in the house."
A GoFundMe online fundraising page has been set up for the pizzeria and has already raised over $165,000 in support for the O'Connor family as of Thursday afternoon. The fundraising page was set up by Dana Loesch and Lawrence B. Jones III of The Blaze, The Huffington Post reports.
"Nobody should ever have to suffer or suffer alone for their faith, for standing up for Christian principles," Loesch said.
Although O'Connor explicitly said the pizzeria would not provide services for gay weddings, some liberal media sources have reported on O'Connor's comments with the spin that O'Connor implied that gays were not welcome or would not be served in their restaurant.
But in an interview with the Daily Beast, Kevin O'Connor clarified the statement and the pizzeria's stance on serving gay weddings.
"I don't have a problem with gay people. I do not condone gay marriage and that's what I said," O'Connor explained. "I don't turn anybody away from the store. I don't have a problem with gay people. I just don't condone the marriage."
O'Connor also emphasized that the pizzeria has never been asked to cater any wedding and that the response was not based on an actual denial of service to a gay couple.
"It's hard to speak when things get taken so out of context and this thing goes sky high and just blows everything up," he said. "I've got a family to think about too."
In the wake of Indiana's RFRA law, a number of companies and organizations have voiced their opposition to the law. The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has vowed to move its 2017 convention, which is scheduled to be in Indianaplois, as a result of RFRA.
Among the companies in opposition to RFRA is Angie's List, an online listing service. After voicing its opposition to the law, the Family Research Council and the American Familiy Association called on their members to boycott Angie's List.
This pizza parlor is not even trying to stop the sodomy, it just does not want to participate.
Who has a wedding catered by a pizza shop? I hear Subway caters now.
Clearly, these things are targeting.
As much as people spend on weddings now it is hard to imagine someone wants pizza at theirs. Furthermore, the people that wanted the pizza shop to cater the wedding must have tried the pizza before, which means they were in the shop and received service. If they haven’t tried the pizza, their purpose is evident. Perhaps the owners do not wish to spend the day at a homosexual wedding and be part of all the shenanigans that go on there. How many pizza shops cater, anyway?
As to the bakeries, I am certain those that have issue are not going in there and ordering a cake. Why would anyone refuse to sell a normal cake to anyone who walks through the door and has cash. I am certain that the buyer wants something objectionable on the cake. We are only getting part of the story.
I wonder if there would be the same reaction if a Muslim caterer would refuse to serve ham at a gay wedding reception?
It seems the gaystapo learned nothing from the Chick Fil A and Duck Dynasty fiascos. Chick Fil-A is still alive and doing very well and DD still has respectably ratings. Everything they boycott turns into a BUYcott. Makes me wonder sometimes if whoever starts these assaults on the Judeo-Christian ethic and common decency are really conservatives acting like gay radicals? Conversly, there’s strong evidence that Fred Phelps himself was a closet homosexual. It’s incredible how a group who “prides” themselves on talent and creativity can be so inept.
For the democrats, the most important issue and agenda for the past 10 years has been homosexuality. In fact, it is the primary focus of democrats. Their desire to have homosexuality as the normal sexual orientation of the United States of America. The Democrats want the USA to be just like Sodom and Gomorrah
This debacle is the very thing that could drive the people in the Center politically to vote Conservative in 2016—and one Ted Cruz will hugely benefit from this.
“I wonder if there would be the same reaction if a Muslim caterer would refuse to serve ham at a gay wedding reception?”
You may recall that the Muslim taxi drivers at Minneapolis - St Paul airport refuse to pick up people with seeing-eye dogs or liquor in their possession - and they are allowed to get away with it because the legal system turns a blind eye! I wonder how many of the people they refuse to pick up are gay, and, if they squawk about it.
Don't do it. They might insist that you cater their "wedding" naked, wearing nothing but a black bow tie & a pair of socks, possibly.
But is homosexuality really that popular, that a major political party decides to go all in on that issue?
When the possibility of homosexual marriage first came on the scene, liberal Democrats were against homosexual marriage.
If you go back and check the vote on the Defense of Marriage Act in Congress, you would be surprised at how many liberals voted for that legislation.
Less than 20 years later, now all Democrats are explicitly in favor of homosexual marriage. Heck, even in 2008, no Democrats running in presidential primaries were in favor of homosexual marriage at that time.
Things have really changed in a few short years on homosexual issues. And we have gone beyond tolerance or live and let live, to an atmosphere in which we are supposed to give positive affirmation and approval, as opposed to just tolerance of a homosexual lifestyle.
I’ve always heard that when homosexuality is accepted as normal, that is a sign. The nuclear deal just signed probably corresponds to things getting so bad.
I was at a wedding in January where the guy videotaping the ceremony was wearing a teeshirt and bluejeans. Apparently you would fit right in these days. Regardless of the sexual orientation of the happy couple.
That is from the Book of the Revelation.
I believe it applies to the unsaved - those not washed by the blood of Christ. And it certainly is the case for those that go to eternity in Hell (wishing for annihilation - but instead suffering for eternity).
That is what makes this situation so damnable. Our politicians and Media are insisting that Christians support and encourage people who want to commit spiritual suicide (an eternity in hell). Christians cannot do that. Other than Ted Cruz, all the other big name politicians are running for cover whenever the Sodomites and their allies say 'boo'.
My understanding is Gladiator attire is preferred.
I hope nothing happens to these Americans. They should have police protection 24/7. At least until after the college basketball thug tournament is over.
He has Risen!
Not necessary. The simple solution - the Romans used decimation of conquered people to get their point across.
ROFL ROFL OMG My Ribs ROFL
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