Christian Florist Says She’d Deny Service to Gay People, but Not Adulterers, Because...

[KamaAina]

...wait for it... 'It’s a “Different Kind of Sin”'!!

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2015/04/02/christian-florist-says-shed-deny-service-to-gay-people-but-not-adulterers-because-its-a-different-kind-of-sin/

CNN’s Gary Tuchman visited several florists in rural Georgia and asked if they would provide certain services to gay people. Of course they all said no… because Jesus.

The most telling part of the exchange was this one with florist Melissa Jeffcoat in which she was confronted about the specifics of her bigotry:

Tuchman: … In the Ten Commandments, it says you can’t commit adultery…

Jeffcoat: Right.

Tuchman: It says you need to honor your father and mother.

Jeffcoat: Mhmm.

Tuchman: If someone didn’t honor their parents or committed adultery, would you serve them?

Jeffcoat: Yes.

Tuchman: Well, why would you serve them but not serve someone who is gay?

Jeffcoat: It’s just a different kind of sin to me and I just don’t believe in it....

All sins are equal, but some are more equal than others. Got it. #ChristianLogic

Well, that's a different kind of stupid.

[workinclasszero]

1. Because she just hates gay people

These teahaddists are the biggest hypocrites of all!

[roguevalley]

14. she is the hardest person who believes in religion to change. she is inflexive in

her belief. her religion as fed to her by bigots from childhood who added their hatred to the teachings of Jesus and the expectation of love from God. She is the saddest person on earth because she can't even hear herself. This is part of her DNA.

[erronis]

50. It's been proven that arguing against a bigot only reinforces their belief

Give up. They'll go toast in their version of heaven/hell but you can rest assured that you won't be there.

[gratuitous]

15. Yeah, but don't call her a bigot

Because, you know, it just hurts some people's delicate feelings when you name their prejudice like that.

[ProfessorGAC]

34. That Was A Gratuitous Shot!

Yeah, i know, you've heard it before. I couldn't help myself.

[Zorra]

16. +1 nt

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

33. Yes, and the hate is violent, they want to KILL all gays, period.

We will someday wake up to this

They want to kill disobedient women too and of course brown people

[Warpy]

56. And she hates them because she's been told to hate them

and she's a good, obedient Christian.

[barbtries]

62. clearly

it's all such bullshit.

[City Lights]

67. Exactly!

They sicken me.

[Jackpine Radical]

2. Do these people even hear what they say?

"Jeffcoat: It’s just a different kind of sin to me and I just don’t believe in it.... "

So she DOES "believe in" (i.e. endorse or maybe practice) the sins listed in the Decalogue, but gets all hung up about something that doesn't even make the Big List, but seems to have about equal Biblical proscriptive ranking with eating shellfish and women wearing divided trousers.

[closeupready]

3. Right. There is no logic and no fairness to these arbitrary laws, and God is cruel and sadistic.

He created some people gay, but wants them to suffer in isolation and lovelessness for the duration of their lives.

Why does he/He/She want that? Who knows, but Occam's Razor suggests the reason is because he's cruel and sadistic, i.e., he enjoys seeing living beings in pain.

In that respect, it makes sense that xtians are generally also cruel and sadistic, because after all, they believe we are all made in God's image. Therefore, making it incumbent on conscientious xtians to make others suffer.

[Doc Holliday]

40. As the late Frank Zappa once said...

"If we are made in God's image, then God is dumb all over....and a little bit ugly on the side." (paraphrased)

[Glitterati]

4. But, but, but......

it's NOT discrimination, cause I have no idea what that big word means.

The twisted logic is just absolutely amazing.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

24. Betcha she believes "discrimination" is only a "black" thing.

[left-of-center2012]

5. Which Bible does she read ....

Which Bible does she read, where she gets to pick and choose? (Yeah, I know - we all do it)

[tazkcmo]

12. We all don't do it.

I do not look to any work of fiction or make believe spirit gods for my principles and values.

[Fairgo]

63. Spot on

Religion is a second rate means to moral philosphy. It is external to the actor, enforced by threat, and corrupted by an oily form of secular relativism. We should have outgrown it by now...

[mythology]

69. I suspect that even without religion you have fallen short of your principles and values

and like all of us, you have justified it to yourself. Everybody else I know has, including me.

[tazkcmo]

73. Of course I have.

But not the point.

[awoke_in_2003]

70. and bad fiction at that...

compared to the bible, Battlefield Earth by L Ron Hubbard is a literary classic.

[arcane1]

30. These idiots read nothing. They get one sentence of the Bible per week.

And the pastor even explains what that sentence means for them, so they don't even have to think about that tiny bit.

[frylock]

6. teh gay sin is just ickier

[Historic NY]

7. Should have asked if she deals with

gay wedding planners?

[mindwalker_i]

8. Religion is an exuse for biggotry

This is actually common: religion lets people do all sorts of terrible things, then tell themselves, "Well I believe in God, so it's all ok." It's kinf of like a get out of jail free card.

[F4lconF16]

27. This article explains exactly that:

http://www.alternet.org/story/143912/the_top_one_reason_religion_is_harmful

A pretty good article, though I don't agree with everything. Nails exactly how it lets this happen.

[mindwalker_i]

59. Part way through it

I'll finish reading it, but the main point is a very interesing one: religion specifically avoids needing proof, making it comletely impossible to disprove. In relation to my earlier point, people can believe religion and thereofre believe that are right and rightous, and in no way is it even possible to disprove them. So although religious people behave like assholes, their religion extends it's armor around them to prevent them from having to own up to being assholes.

It's a be-an-asshole-free card.

[F4lconF16]

60. A pretty good summary of the point of that article, I'd say.

I think the article makes a particularly good point at the end in reference to more moderate believers, too.

[Orsino]

9. I think she just said she believes in adultery?

[IggleDoer]

46. Perhaps because she is an adulterer???

Who knew?

[spanone]

10. america, where you're free to be as ignorant as you want to be.

[treestar]

11. So she believes in adultery?

And believes in not honoring your parents? How is she Christian then?

Makes no sense.

Adultery used to make a person a pariah where known, so it's really, really odd that Christians are OK with that now. Maybe because a lot of them need forgiveness for it?

[sarisataka]

13. It’s just a different kind of sin to me and I just don’t believe in it....

So the sin listed in Leviticus, as interpreted be man is a Great and Serious Sin

But the sins listed in Exodus, scribed in stone by God Himself you don't believe in...

[Buzz Clik]

18. The sins listed in Exodus... which so many of them want posted in the Halls of Justice.

It's all bullshit.

[sarisataka]

20. I let people believe

What they wish but will look at the "rules" from their perspective.

In this case the speaker is dismissing what they consider God's law yet adhering to a law of man...

[Initech]

21. "A different kind of sin" would make a great Vegas advertising slogan.

"Come to Las Vegas, it's a different kind of sin!"

[sarisataka]

25. You need to be in marketing

[Initech]

72. *drops mic*

Thank you I'm here all week!

[TBF]

31. ...

[Buzz Clik]

17. Bottom line: Bias against gay people is not based in religion, as we all suspected.

[F4lconF16]

28. Maybe not based in it...but encouraged by it?

Hell yes. Sponsoring it? Oh yeah. All sorts of stuff like that. Just like women have been oppressed by it for centuries.

Let's not pretend religion has nothing to do with the hatred and abuse of LGBT peoples around the world.

[Initech]

19. Republican Christianity: Where the golden rule is debunked and logic takes a holiday.

[maryellen99]

22. They would not only deny gay couples service for their wedding

But also interracial couples too.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

23. Well,....we know she's fucking around.

[TeamPooka]

41. lol

[christx30]

26. Most of the people I've read

take the opposite tack. They don't do gay weddings because they won't celebrate what they view as sin. They also wouldn't bake a cake for a "I'm commiting adultry" party or "I just had an abortion" shindig or "I'm stealing from my office" soiree. They would bake the cake for a gay person, or an adulterer. They problem they have is celebrating the sin. So it's pretty consistant with their "love the sinner, hate the sin" mantra.
I still don't think it's any of their damn business why the cake it being baked. Do your job, take the money, and stay out of our lives.

[Politicub]

29. When I buy a cake from a bakery for a birthday I've never thought

Gee... I'm so excited that the Stan's bakery is celebrating with me on this fine birthday!

It would be very strange if the bakery believes they are celebrating with you. That's delusional, actually.

[christx30]

44. Oh I agree.

I'm hiring them to bake the cake for me. It's a business transaction. It's none of their business why they are doing it. But they disagree. They don't want to put their time and skill into celebrating something they find morally objectionable.

[Politicub]

66. I don't want to put my time and skill into working with the public generally

Which is why I don't work in retail. No religion excuse necessary

[LiberalLovinLug]

58. This is why this law is just really really stoooooopid

Growing up in a fundie household, while I disagree with them, I can understand their thinking. Politicub in response misunderstands. Its not that the Christian business is celebrating with them, its that they believe the are endorsing gay marriage by facilitating the event. That they are then accomplices in a first degree sin.

But why this law is stooooooopid is that a business could have already cut their own throats, refuse business to a gay couple for a wedding. It happens all the time, say in dating. A person who is asked out by someone that they don't want to go out with can say...sorry I'm busy..or....I'm gay(!)...or make up something else. This pizza place can simply say...sorry we are so busy we don't think we can handle a wedding order...or some other excuse. If they want to throw money away because of some ancient book its their prerogative. (Though I suspect that most floral or food businesses where the owners call themselves Christian actually WOULD cater a gay wedding, and convince themselves that they were not endorsing it but only that it gave them a chance to witness or show God's love or make up anything in order to get that $.)

What is different is this law opens up the possibility that a business could deny even selling a slice to any effeminate looking male, or a masculine looking female. Or deny service to anyone wearing a hijab, or a kippah. Or any reason they can find an excuse for in the Bible. It gives encouragement to bigots.

But face it, most businesses would not deny a slice of pizza to a polite customer who happens to talk a little funny or look a little off to them, because money rules in business. That's why I think all this law does is advertise the fear and bigotry of the religiously indoctrinated mind. Its an unnecessary and stupid move. And that's why there is a silver lining to all this. Their overreach has only highlighted their sexism and bigotry when they didn't have to and did it only to appeal to their anti-American bigoted base.

[1StrongBlackMan]

32. ... And then, Jeffcoat turned to her boyfriend (who happens to be her husband's teenage brother) ...

demanding that he slap her (Jeffcoat's) mother for allowing the "Got'cha Journalist" Tuchman in the store!

Different kind of sin, is right!

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

35. We have to stop giving the racist bigot fucks coverage, this one will make a million too like the

others.

I will be honest, that pisses me off more than I can say.

the money

[1StrongBlackMan]

38. Well ...

I'm of divided mind on this. While I hate that these racist/heterosexist business owners will be getting money ... that is one less dollar the racist/heterosexist supporters have to spend. Maybe they'll starve to death ... because we know that these racist/heterosexist business owners will refuse to feed them ... you know, free market, personal responsibility, bootstraps and all!

[hifiguy]

36. Epic fail. Truly epic.

[ErikJ]

51. Dang. Dems/Obama obstructed by Republicans again. nt

[hifiguy]

55. They tried, but this time the donkey got his revenge!

[gollygee]

37. because she's a hypocritical bigot. n/t

[TeamPooka]

39. "A Different Kind of Sin" new band name. I call it. nt

[KamaAina]

43. Maybe LynneSin could use it for a Zep tribute band

[hifiguy]

54. Sounds like the name of a high-end womens' scent to me.

Some perfumier will be all over this one.

[obxhead]

42. Dear Lord

Save me from your followers. I also ask that you banish them to hell.

Sadly, that's just a fictional wish.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

45. Well, she's just a different kind of stupid.

[bigbrother05]

47. So not violating the 10 Commandments or the Golden Rule makes you worse than one who does?

Would seem that they have that "mote vs timber" problem, have to comb through the Bible while ignoring the the basics to justify their hate/fear.

And don't start on the 7 deadly sins.

[pansypoo53219]

48. teh gayis icky stuff. like 'santorum'.

[Eleanors38]

49. I thought it would be "a different kind of odor."

[Inkfreak]

52. Stunningly stupid. (nt)

[Brickbat]

53. In other words, it's about the buttsex.

They should just be honest with themselves and others.

[JDPriestly]

57. You have to be carefully taught . . . .

who to hate.

[raccoon]

61. Because church-going self-professed Xians commit adultery as much as any

nonbelievers.

This woman sounds like an idiot.

[Dont call me Shirley]

64. But the 10 Commandments

Adultery is one of the forbidden 10.

Being gay isn't even on the list.

[lpbk2713]

65. It's all right there in the latest email from gawd.

BWAHAHAHA

[B Calm]

68. Should be titled Christian Bigoted Florist.

[Thor_MN]

71. She would deny service to gay people?

I'd bet she has no idea how much her business would decline if she actually had a clue who was and who wasn't.

[Rex]

74. Legalized homophobia. Anyone that blames Jesus for the way they feel, really means

they hate gay folks with a passion. Has nothing to do with Sweet Jesus and everything to do with their inferiority complex acting up.

[eppur_se_muova]

75. Wait, the Ten Commandments doesn't mention Teh Gay ??

I don't know whether to call that discrimination or not.

[Cha]

76. Wrong.. Ms Stupid.. Neither one is a "sin"