(Photo: ADF/Screengrab)Barronelle Stutzman, owner of Arlene's Flowers in Richland, Washington, speaks as supporters rally around her in November 2016.
Posted on 07/17/2017 9:19:57 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
(Photo: ADF/Screengrab)Barronelle Stutzman, owner of Arlene's Flowers in Richland, Washington, speaks as supporters rally around her in November 2016.
Barronelle Stutzman, also known as the "Christian grandmpa florist," is now asking the U.S. Supreme Court to hear her appeal to reverse a Washington court's decision earlier this year that found her guilty of discrimination for refusing to provide flowers for a gay wedding.
The Associated Press reported on Sunday that lawyers for Stutzman are claiming that Washington's high court violated her First Amendment protection for artistic expression in its ruling in February.
Alliance Defending Freedom positioned in a post on Friday that Stutzman is taking her "last stand" at the Supreme Court.
"For more than four years, Barronelle has endured the litigation in this case with unwavering grace, humility, and faith — even as she faces losing everything she owns," ADF wrote.
"Now she will take her last stand before the U.S. Supreme Court, asking it to preserve her religious freedom and her right not to be forced to speak a message about marriage that violates her beliefs."
The Washington high court agreed with a 2015 Benton County Superior Court decision that fined the florist $1,001 and held her responsible for paying the thousands of dollars in legal fees incurred by Rob Ingersoll and Curt Freed, the gay couple who sued her back in 2013.
Stutzman, the owner of Arlene's Flowers in Richland, Washington, had served Ingersol for close to a decade, but declined to use her talents to create floral arrangements for his same-sex wedding, as it went against her religious beliefs.
In February, Associate Justice Sheryl Gordon McCloud argued that the Washington Law against discrimination "does not infringe" on any of Stutzman's constitutional protections.
The decision sparked outrage among Christian conservatives, with David and Jason Benham, two conservative brothers who in 2014 lost out on a HGTV house-flipping show after voicing their stances on marriage and abortion, stating at the time:
"Today, religious liberty was dealt another devastating blow as the Washington state Supreme Court ruled against [72]-year-old florist Barronelle Stutzman. Now is the time to rally to her defense and support her."
Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, called it a "loss for every American."
"The government should not bully people into violating their conscience," Moore argued on Twitter.
"A [government] that can bully consciences into participating and celebrating what the conscience finds immoral is a [government] that can do *anything.*"
ADF argued that it's "hardly disputed that artistic expression, such as floral art, is speech."
It slammed the state for going after "a 72-year-old grandmother for everything she owns just because what she believes does not fall in line with the state's political agenda."
ADF positioned that the Washington high court's decision was "blatantly unconstitutional," and warned that all American citizens need to be concerned for their freedoms.
That’s an argument, but not the best one. What right does the government have to force someone to enter into a business transaction with someone and participate in an event they don’t want to participate in? This is absolute madness.
Just a conservative using liberal speech in a liberal hate war.
How come these faggots never sue a muzz slime?
That’s speech and press, in a way. Just because you can eat it, doesn’t make it nothing but food.
How about stepping up to the mercy seat.
Sometimes, to undergo misfortunes means a Christian has not put on his armor. In turn, maybe he hasn't asked for it. Maybe he thinks a "form of religion but denying its power" is enough.
Hello, people. The gospel is "good news." Of God's love received and passed on to the needy. In fact, except for the all-important sacred aspect, it looks a lot like leftism. The gospel boots aren't to kick every inconvenient rear out of your way. They are to focus on walking up to the weak so that you can help them push evil out of the way.
When Christendom regains this vision as a chief theme, I think it will be able to stand far firmer in the face of problems like this, rather than spinning in a wail like a bunch of offended church ladies and lashing out at random. Be angry and do not sin.
It was something that got wished on us with civil rights statutes. It wasn’t enough to ban all laws that forbade equal opportunity service. It went further and required equal opportunity service. Now we are seeing that well intentioned principle turn into a Frankenstein monster.
I think God let the clash between left and right drive the scene, as chaotically and roughly as it has, because Christendom had failed to. Something kept a rough balance, because the thing that could keep a fine balance went AWOL.
I think you are conflating mercy with obedience.
Self-styled Christians who make a choice to allow their children to be schooled by heathens are not training their children up in the way they should go. We are losing the culture war because of it.
I do not agree that Christianity has much in common with the political left. 1 Samuel warns about government, and the role of the family (especially the father) is clear in Ephesians.
Today, being a culture warrior means taking charge of oneself and one’s own family. People who come on here and blab about our social ills, while their own children make common cause with Bernie at Weather Underground P.S. should re-assess their priorities? We keep reading about Christian small businesses targeted by the left under rules made by the left. Well? Stop training up children to be like Bernie and things will turn around in a generation.
I wonder if the government would equally enforce this on a Muslim baker that made the same refusal?
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