Posted on 02/20/2015 5:55:29 PM PST by Maudeen
'You chose to attack my faith to threaten my very means of eating'
A Washington state florist facing ruin for her decision not to support same-sex marriage through her business has rejected out of hand an offer to settle a state claim of discrimination against her.
As WND reported this week, Benton County Superior Court Judge Alex Ekstrom authorized the state and the homosexual plaintiffs to pursue the business and personal assets of Barronelle Stutzman, including her home, in payment of damages and attorneys fees.
The Alliance Defending Freedom confirmed Ekstrom granted a summary judgment in the case against Stutzman, meaning it will not proceed to trial. A trial had been scheduled for March 23. But the ADF said it would be appealed.
Last month, Ekstrom ruled Stutzman was personally was liable for the claims against her, placing her business assets, her home and personal savings at risk.
The judge ordered this week that the state and the homosexual plaintiffs, each of whom filed lawsuits, could collect damages and attorneys fees from Stutzman.
(Excerpt) Read more at wnd.com ...
This crap has to stop.
I can’t remember who said it or if the quote is exact. . .tried to find it before posting it. .may be Ginott. . . .but I used it in presentations many years ago. . “All children learn by example the problem is they don’t know the difference between a good example and a bad example”. Unfortunately we have had too many bad examples over the years that have been touted as good.
In the America where I was born —70 years ago— these vermin would be planted in a cold moist forest floor before a court ruling could be twisted in their favor, as a message that the taboo structure of America is more valuable than their degenerate behavior. Sadly, that taboo structure has been aborted by the sexual filth who demand much more than equality. This is a democrap party gift to the soon to be dead and buried America.
The state-sponsored terrorist cowards like attacking women, children and babies, but fear armed men.
That ruse doesn't work anymore.
Gamblers are on camera 24/7/365.
Stutzman’s comments in the article:
On Friday, in response to a settlement offer relayed through a news release from Attorney General Bob Ferguson, Stutzman was blunt.
She told Ferguson in a letter posted online: Your offer reveals that you dont really understand me or what this conflict is all about. Its about freedom, not money. I certainly dont relish the idea of losing my business, my home, and everything else that your lawsuit threatens to take from my family, but my freedom to honor God in doing what I do best is more important.
She continued: Washingtons constitution guarantees us freedom of conscience in all matters of religious sentiment. I cannot sell that precious freedom. You are asking me to walk in the way of a well-known betrayer, one who sold something of infinite worth for 30 pieces of silver.
That is something I will not do.
I pray that you reconsider your position, Stutzman told Ferguson. I kindly served [plaintiff Rob Ingersoll] for nearly a decade and would gladly continue to do so. I truly want the best for my friend. Ive also employed and served many members of the LGBT community, and I will continue to do so regardless of what happens with this case.
You chose to attack my faith and pursue this not simply as a matter of law, but to threaten my very means of working, eating and having a home. If you are serious about clarifying the law, then I urge you to drop your claims against my home, business and other assets and pursue the legal claims through the appeal process.
She wrote: Since 2012, same-sex couples all over the state have been free to act on their beliefs about marriage, but because I follow the Bibles teaching that marriage is the union of one man and one woman, I am no longer free to act on my beliefs.
Stutzman said: America would be a better place if citizens respected each others differences and the government still protected the freedom to have those differences. Instead, the government is coming after me and everything I have just because I wont live my life the way the state says I should. I just want the freedom to live and work faithfully and according to what God says about marriage without fear of punishment. Others have the freedom to say or not say what they want to about marriage, and thats all Im asking for as well.
I watched the video at the link and something Barronelle Stutzman said made me think of an argument that we should be making. She pointed out that Marriage is a picture of God and the church which is why she couldn’t participate in a gay marriage. I think that we need to point out that marriage is a christian sacrament like baptism or communion. And so to force a Christian to participate in a gay marriage (which mocks the Christian sacrament of marriage) is no different than to force a Christian to participate in a satanic black mass which mocks the sacrament of communion. Thus it is clearly a violation of religious freedom.
Any church leaders responding?
This is an excellent point. The actual damages are minimal. It’s clear they are going for punative damages. But herein lies the rub: the punishment for hurting the gaystapo’s feelings is utter ruin.
I am not sure. In the video she showed letters and a bible that she had received from supportive Christians. However, I am not sure if any major denominational figures have spoken out.
At 70 she should have sold her business and retired rather than lose her way of surviving in retirement.
Rather than break the anti- discrimination laws I would have served the gays like everyone else, and posted this in my store.
welcome to state-capitalism
you are a slave. your first amendment rights of free expression (work is an expression) are gone. forget your rights to freely observe your religious beliefs.
and the eighth amendment rights against excessive fees and fines... gone (a fine for NOT doing something??)
demand your state reps define their position on this issue
“So now the state can tell you who to do business with????”
That’s what the “Banking-Insurance” ACA is ALL about. Extorting through Body Mortgages, exchanges or ortherwise.
Human Trafficking.
She did provide flowers to homosexuals for anything other than a gay marriage. In fact, she had sold flowers to the man that is now suing her for nine years. She simply could not provide flowers for a gay marriage because the sacrament of marriage is a picture of the relationship between God and the church and a gay marriage utterly perverts that picture. Basically a gay marriage is just as blasphemous as a black mass. A gay marriage is a mockery of the sacrament of marriage while a black mass is a mockery of the sacrament of communion.
Don’t know if law has correlations like psychology but wouldn’t the Hobby Lobby abortion/abortion drug ruling be based on the same principle as this?
I hope so too.
Its a for profit business not a charity or religious institution, so it has to comply with nondiscrimination laws, even ones that we hate.
Practically there is no way out of this,
if a court ruled as she (and we) liked then the next defendant would use it as a precedent to refuse to serve race mixed couples getting married.
Its just not realistic.
I am just my dad and grandparents are not alive to see what libs have done to marriage
The constitution is takes precedent over all federal and state laws. There is no special standard for non discrimination laws. I agree that this is a test case but if this stands than America is no longer free.
So true, she makes the majority of ministers look cowardly for the most part.
America no longer has a taboo structure gauged to deal with degeneracy. Righteous indignation/true vigilante justice is dependent upon a taboo structure that frames a moral stance for a society. America no longer has that.
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