In case anyone missed it, the linked site is satirical. From their About page:
The two bolded sentences are contradictory. Can you clarify further?
AGH! FOOLED! DAMN!
Well, ignorance fought. 
A person’s religious beliefs may require him/her to make certain decisions. Like not catering a gay wedding because it conflicts with their beliefs of marriage.
Its not personal. They don’t necessarily hate the person or even gay people in general. It would vary from situation to situation. But I don’t assume any hatred or prejudice unless the people are quoted saying negative stuff. The belief that marriage is between a man and a woman doesn’t equal hate for gays. At least it shouldn’t.
If you don’t want people “imposing their sexuality on you”, then why in the Nine Hells would you go into the wedding-planning business? That’s a job that’s literally impossible to do without getting your clients’ sexuality “imposed on you”.
Wait, what’s that? It’s OK when heterosexuals wear their sexuality on their sleeve, but it’s not OK when homosexuals do it? And just what should we call that attitude?
So is this.
They’re being discriminatory towards another citizen. Their religion doesn’t protect them from equal rights provisions.
Oh, please.
Religious beliefs that are exclusionary define prejudice and bigotry. Hating in the name of your god is still hating.
I have minimal problem with people’s sincere religious beliefs directing their actions, most of the time. I do have a problem when they define their bigotry and irrational beliefs as “religious,” giving a legal-proof excuse to do something that most people class as blind hate.
I know the race analogy is probably tiresome, but it is so very apt that I don’t think it will go away, so…
If a person’s religious beliefs require him to make certain decisions such as refusing to cater an interracial wedding, because that conflicts with their belief, is that ok?
And would it be in any way reasonable to say “the belief that marriage should be between two people the same colour doesnt equal racism. At least it shouldn’t” ?
I don’t believe either statement is defensible in either case; race or sexuality. The civilised world seems to be in agreement when the factor is race, but for no good reason at all, when the factor is sexuality, it’s debatable? Preposterous.
Ace - at some point you’ll probably realize that all this rationalization of a business rejecting clients based on moral principles is simply discrimination.
Five or ten years ago there was a lot of debate about whether gays should have civil unions as opposed to marriage. That debate over now, really, because I think people have pretty much recognized that “separate but equal” is discrimination, no matter what kind of robes and collars it may wear.
I can understand–though I do not accept as a valid excuse–the fact that anti-gay bigots are “having the rules changed on them,” just as anti-black bigots “had the rules changed on them” in the civil rights era. You get into the pizza slice business thinking you’ll never have to serve blacks/gays, and now it turns out you do. If only they’d known before starting a business…
Let’s not forget the Irish. We’ve all heard that in the bad old days “no Irish need apply.” After the draft riots in NY, the powers that be started to think maybe it’d be better to have some Irish inside the tent pissing out. I’m thankful it was not a murderous rampage but rather a long legal campaign that brought gays (most of) the same civil rights the rest of us enjoy. How about you?
So to repeat, burn it down. The pizza folk can move to Iran and be with like-minded people. Though they might find the regime’s tolerance of sex-reassignment surgery curious.
I would also point out that gays are prohibited from discriminating against straights.
Urbanredneck and Ace - you both sound like throwbacks to the separate but equal era.
Going back to the original question, if some small business has issues with me because of whatever (race, gender, accent, anything) I would like to know about it up front and allowing them an out certainly does that. For one thing I may just want to pick a business that is more supportive of the things I believe in - or at least one neutral in the hopes of educating them. For another, I’ve heard enough confirmed stories (from Jesse Jackson spitting in white peoples food as a young man to Klan supporters using events as places to post racist messages) not to really want them there for something like a wedding. Forcing them to serve me isn’t going to change their beliefs or serve any real purpose other than making me feel good for a moment.
"No, we can’t cater for the most important, joyous day of your lives, when you proclaim your love for each other to all your friends and families, and your intention to spend the rest of your life together.
"You see, you’re a pair of sinners, and you’re damned to hell for what you’re doing. I’m not going to get my hands dirty helping you on your sinful trip to hell.
“By hey, it’s not personal.”
Worked for Pontius Pilate. :rolleyes:
And people used their sincere religious beliefs to explain why the races should be kept separate.
Tell me, ace, why this is different? Or do you agree that people whose religion tells them that the races should be kept separate should not have to serve black people?
Oh, give me a break. Really? That’s the best you’ve got?
So if the couple approaches a restaurant to cater for them, and the restauranteur turns them down, because he doesn’t cater gay weddings, it would be different if the wedding party comes to the restaurant after the wedding, they all sit down, and the toasts start to the happy couple? The restauranteur is going to serve them? It’s only the catering that triggers the problem?
I’ve been to catered weddings. I’ve never noticed the happy couple forming deep personal friendships with the catering staff during those two hours when the caterers are busy serving the hundred or so hungry people. A well catered wedding is like a well run restaurant: the staff are busy, polite, and doing their jobs in a good professional manner: that doesn’t amount to a personal relationship in either case.
Well, if you ever become a gay person, you are totally free to direct your purchasing decisions wherever you like. But we don’t plan our laws around what kopek sits around on the couch musing he might do if he were theoretically gay.
Gay people have been fighting for equality for decades. It’s pretty clear that they are pretty attached to the concept of “we deserve civil rights,” and you probably aren’t going to reason them out of it.
Let’s also keep in mind that the question that the OP posed wasn’t whether or not a business has a right to discriminate. It is whether people should be “allowed” to boycott a business that does discriminate. (I use he word allowed because I’m not sure what other word to use.)
The idea that I should keep patronizing a business I disagree with, otherwise I am doing something wrong, is such a bizarre idea. I would like the OP to describe again why I am the problem here.
Most people have no idea who runs the businesses they spend money at. They could be giving money to a Nazi, communist, atheist, and so on. Most businesses don’t advertise their political opinions.
Most likely any attempt to boycott businesses will be a big waste of time. Just ask Disney. If the boycott makes you feel good that’s OK but that’s about all it does. ( the boycott does not bother me)
Race isn’t a part of this thread. The article I quoted was referring to people that have a religious objection to gay marriage. That’s based on traditional Biblical teaching for both Christians and Muslims.
Last time I checked there is nothing in the Bible about race. I’ve never heard it mentioned in Church. Other than love thy neighbor as thyself. A lot of ministers and their congregations were involved in the civil rights movement.
The whole point of this thread is tolerance. Just accept each others values. Lets all share this planet together. Right now its not working out that way. Anyone who dares speak out (like that Pizza Place) gets death threats and has to close. Thankfully people are coming to their aid with sizable donations.