Paul Wilson: Indiana, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act & Poe’s Law

indiana-rfra-typical-gay-wedding-receptionOn Thursday, Indiana lawmakers made changes to RFRA to calm the national tsunami of gay discontent flooding the state…

This isn’t new, Indiana joined 20 other states in giving businesses the right to not provide services to the gay community if that conflicts with their religious views.

Or, as Seinfeld’s Soup Nazi said, “No SOUP for you [GAYS]!”

“The change in the RFRA law will hopefully put an end to the greatest misperception of all: that Indiana’s people discriminate, which couldn’t be further from the truth,” said Senate President Pro Tempore, David Long.

This came after a host of organizations and groups from the band Wilco to 10 states and municipalities announced they were pulling out of conferences and events as a result of the law’s backlash.

Jesus himself never said anything about homosexuality.

He could have as he talked about a lot of stuff and hung out with a sketchy crowd. His mantra was, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

If we are to error on the side of love, neither side is doing well in Indiana.

I’m a libertarian at heart and feel no business should be forced to provide services for anyone it finds offensive. Speaking of my gay friends, they have better connections to the best caterers, wedding planners and florists than any straight people I know.

I don’t know of any gay people forced to turn to intolerant Christians for services. For me and my gay friends, neither would have an interest doing business with someone who didn’t want to do business with us. Why would we want to litigate someone into submission to have them cater our wedding, knowing all the time they hate us?

Unknown-3But in Indiana’s case, we don’t seem to be dealing with run of the mill gays or Christians.

Both sides of this debate are the more militant sectors.

The gay community claims they want to “live and let live,” but that is clearly not what’s happening. Christians who have never been asked to provide services for a gay wedding are righteously indignant. Gay activist groups who have never been denied services are trying to force those in opposition out of business. In spite of cries for “tolerance”, some Gays are demonstrating an equal dose of “no tolerance” for those who disagree.

Can’t we all just listen to some show tunes and get along?

So what’s Poe’s Law, and why does it matter?

Nathan Poe stated, “Without a clear indication of the author’s intent, it is difficult or impossible to tell the difference between an expression of sincere extremism and a parody of extremism.”

Christians, can we talk?

I’m a Christian. I support Biblical convictions and rights, but if we want to refuse gays, what about us doing a better job with other clients?

When asked to cater a wedding – and it’s the couple’s second  or third trip to the altar – investigate if the divorce was for a Biblically sound reason.  If not, no cake.

Did the bride come in wearing mixed fabrics and short hair? More sin. Is her engagement ring too pricey or gaudy? The Bible says that’s personal adornment, so no cake for Jezebel girl! Will there be alcohol at the reception leading to suggestive dancing? Is the bride or groom a little too chunky, a little gluttonous? Well, gluttony isn’t gay, friends, but it’s one of the seven DEADLY sins!

No cake for fatty!

src.adapt.960.high.032114_Michigan_gay_marriage.1395521838025If we’re going to judge, let’s judge by the letter of the law.

Don’t be “lukewarm” about it.

God said If you were lukewarm he would spit you out of his mouth! This Easter weekend, I would encourage us all to act a little differently than those on both sides of this issue in Indiana.

Let’s focus on His primary message – his law – and love your neighbor as yourself.

http://www.mb-kc.com/
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41 Responses to Paul Wilson: Indiana, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act & Poe’s Law

  1. KCMonarch says:

    By cowering to corporate and other economic pressures the Indiana legislature properly bowed down to this great country’s one and only true God. Money.

    All praise Money.
    Dolla Akbar.
    The Dow has risen..It has risen indeed. Happy Easter.

  2. chuck says:

    Here is a video of other folks, who also, WILL NOT MAKE A CAKE FOR GAYS OR A GAY WEDDING.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgWIhYAtan4

    The Christians are crucified in the Main Stream Press.

    Huh…

    Go figure…

  3. chuck says:

    George Will calls Gays, “Sore Winners” (“Insert” your own joke there and keep it to yourself). The Supreme Court is a sure thing to legalize gay marriage, yet the Progressive, Liberal jihadists who manufacture and mouth the message of tolerance under the reality of intolerance, seek again, the destruction of those whose thoughts are not bent to the Borg. Free Association is not only expensive, it is criminalized metaphorically and literally.

    Progressives, arm in arm with a biased media, hyperbolically accentuate real and imagined inequities in America to justify the Federal Government’s over reach into every detail of our lives by way of legislation and laws that supposedly “protect” the “Protected Class” or groups in “harm’s way” that in actuality consign the majority to a type of American Dhimmitude.

    Those Muslims in the video above, would NEVER be the subject of such a firestorm of opprobrium. The Federal Government, the Media, the Entertainment Industry, Academe, and our elected leaders seek to Fundamentally Change America and rewrite history, as they are now in control of our future.

    This Bullsh*t Brouhaha is in no way about the protection of gays looking to buy a Pizza, it’s another torpedo amidships in the culture war.

  4. hahhararley says:

    Thank you Gov. Pence! Thanks for everything you did for 2 days this last week.
    With your hideous and discriminatory attempt to sign a bill in darkness you
    have lit up the nation.
    Noone really paid attention to gay rights before last week. Yes…there were gay
    marriages and we saw the kissing on tv. Michael Sams kissed his partner
    Vito Cammissano on tv when he got drafted on live tv….but for all intents
    and purposes it was not something we talked about much.
    Thank you governor…you lit up the nation. You have done something no
    one else in your position could do .
    We finally saw what people called the “cino”….standing for Christians in
    name only! Of course I will not single this out to Christians as there are
    many jews/Mormons/Baptists/moslems who “are in name only”.
    But now…Gov. Pence…we saw that you and your ilk are nothing but
    chicken shits. When the heat hit…when sales force/angies list/walmart
    apple/Microsoft/GE/and all the straights in america all rose and showed you who you really are and the type of man you are…you backed down…and ran to the nearest
    corner and shivered like the mouse you are.
    The world saw what you were doing. In thedark ofnight…without media…
    with phony actors at your side…you signed that first bill of hate. The best thing
    was that you never knew that what you did would revolt the nation and make
    some pizza maker in Indiana a millionaire overnight.
    At our Passover dinner…this was brought up. Forget the treaty that Obama
    orchestrated which bipartisans have come out and said was the right road.
    Forget that Hillary had 1 or 2 smartphones and actually sent “personal”
    emails on those and our enemies (whoever they might be) found out she
    didn’t like the color of some drapes. Oh my! I found out that discrimination and
    that a florist and a cake maker had changed the world.
    I found out relatives with a new home have Indians living on both sides of
    them and a biracial couples across the street. they said “it’s no big deal”.
    So thank you gov.pence…you made the corporate world wake up and realize
    that good people are starting to see what you have done. Wal mart told asa..
    don’t sign that…and the squirrel didn’t. Because corporate America is realizing
    that we’re not going to take it anymore and if you support whats wrong…we’ll
    use our economic power to help you change your mind.
    And even Fox chickened out…they saw the fireball. And people everywhere
    were talking about it.
    The fact is that before this Pence signed this pos law no one really knew or
    cared about what these people were doing.
    Even my aunt who’s 90 ….who never spoke a word of politics in her lifetime said..
    “I hate that man”.
    Thanks for waking America up. The new vocal majority is starting to come out
    oftheir sleep and they’re not liking what they see.
    Gov. Pence and his cronies did something dems could never do. Wake up people
    to the insanity and lies that these so called “CINOS” have been feeding America
    for too long.
    It’s a differnet playing field now…so get ready.
    The giant has awaken!
    and to my friend chuckles ‘WHITE LIVES MATTER TOO”…
    but I never realized that the lgbt community had so many people who loved
    and cared for them.
    May god bless all of us. Every color/creed/religion.
    In my life ‘ALL LIVES MATTER”.
    and maybe that little millionaire pizza maker will drop a 16inch combo pizza at the
    governors mansion next week.

  5. the dude says:

    I don’t get it. Why would people willingly turn down potential business because of what other people do in their bedroom? Oh, lemme guess- religion.
    Jesus, people are stupid. This should be called the freedom of stupidity act because that is what it is.

    • hahhararley says:

      dude…they’re stupid.
      while the pizzashoppe got 800k Hillary was raising 8 million…
      in one email!
      Even bush can’t dothat!

    • paulwilsonkck says:

      On the converse, why would you want someone providing services who you know dislikes you?

      • the dude says:

        If I liked their product or found it the best of the alternatives I can put my personal preferences aside and think professionally. I am sure in business you had to work with people that probably hated your guts and vice versa, wilsun. Ya get past it. This legislation is bunk and a waste of people’s time.

    • Orphan of the Road says:

      Whenever I hear people talk of tolerance I hear it as an offering of their superiority.

      I prefer to follow in Thomas Jefferson’s footsteps and be oblivious rather than tolerant.

      One of your best writings to date, Paul.

      This song was written in New York City
      Of rich man, preacher, and slave
      If Jesus was to preach what He preached in Galilee,
      They would lay poor Jesus in His grave.

      Woody Guthrie’s words ring true today.

  6. Nick says:

    You should do more satire; you’re not half bad at it.

  7. mark smith says:

    The reporter who broke the non story of the pizza joint nobody ever heard of , drove 20 miles from her station before she could find someone naive enough to take the bait. The gay mafia then went on a mission to destroy said business, instead the owners ended up with 800k and change. Personally I dont care if harley marries a house cat, that said I believe anyone should be able to follow their religious beliefs without fear of reprisal so long as those beliefs don’t harm anyone or infringe upon the beliefs of others. Given the amount of money raised in under a week, Im not alone in that belief. I find it less concerning that a mom and pop pizza joint wouldnt cater a hypothetical gay wedding, than the trend of the media making news from thin air that is intended to create hysteria and overreach. Considering Muslims are tossing suspected gays off the roofs of buildings in the middle east, it begs the question, why dont any of these intrepid reporters target Muslim businesses, and if they do it is non-news. It always seems to be the Middle class Christian owned businesses who are “exposed”. For every business who refuses to participate in a gay wedding their are 100’s who would be happy to serve your guests dried out brisket and bland cake. If I didnt know better Id think a section of the gay community is trying to get in on the victim-hood in perpetuity racket.

    • paulwilsonkck says:

      Thanks for your comment. Speaking of Muslims and gays…
      http://youtu.be/RgWIhYAtan4

    • Orphan of the Road says:

      Zealots and fundamentalists are always at the bottom of these things.

      Bryant’s would have never made it this long if the Yancy had boycotted because Charlie hated whites.

      “All successful newspapers are ceaselessly querulous and bellicose. They never defend anyone or anything if they can help it; if the job is forced on them, they tackle it by denouncing someone or something else.”

      HL Mencken

  8. chuck says:

    I copied this letter from an Indiana business owner. In spite of his lack of alcohol intake, it seems to make sense. Mark Smith and the Dude are correct, turning any cash away from your business is nuts to me, but, the Government, at the behest of the Liberal Borg, should get back to fuc*ing up our health care.

    —————————————————————————————————–

    ” As a Hoosier business owner I have a dog in this fight. It affects me directly.

    Last month Republican Governor Mike Pence signed legislation that protects my liberties and those of my fellow Hoosiers. It’s called the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. A calculated firestorm ensued as the eyes of the mainstream media focus on Indiana.

    (Yes, we are Hoosiers; not Indianians.)

    Homosexuals claim the law negatively affects them. It allows Christian business owners to refuse service to gays if that service compromises the Christians’ religious beliefs.

    Are Christian Hoosiers really the anti-gay bigots the media claims? Or are we simply protecting our right to adhere to our convictions?

    • In 1984 I began a direct marketing business in which I provide marketing tools for small businesses.

    The owner of a liquor store visited my office a few years ago. He wanted to buy a mailing list for his area to promote his store.

    I politely, but firmly, declined due to my personal conviction that the consumption of alcoholic beverages is harmful to both individuals and society. The liquor store owner became nonplussed and stormed out of my office in a rage.

    My libertarian sensitivities constrain me from supporting government prohibition. I realize that our nation was founded by liberty-loving, whisky-drinking church folk.

    Nonetheless, it is my right to do business with whom I wish. When the government uses force to compel us to sell mailing lists to liquor stores or wedding cakes to homosexuals, the government is out of line.

    • Now 62 years old, I have never consumed an alcoholic beverage, never tasted wine, and never downed a can of beer. I have no idea what liquor tastes like and plan to go to my grave lacking that knowledge. The closest thing to booze I’ve ever consumed is cough syrup.

    When I was little — in the late 1950s and early 1960s — my dad occasionally volunteered to work with bums at a rescue mission in downtown Indianapolis. Today we would refer to them as “the homeless” and the rescue mission as a “homeless shelter.”

    Dad took me with him.

    I recall asking Dad, “What’s wrong with these guys?”

    Their clothing was ragged, their hair disheveled and matted, and their skin seemed gray and leathery. The men at the mission seemed to exist in a zombie-like trance. They shuffled when they walked and slouched into slumber when they sat.

    Dad explained that these men were alcoholics. They were liquor addicts.

    It occurred to me at an early age that each of these men had, at some point, tasted alcohol for the first time. That first encounter with booze was the pivotal point in each of their lives that began their trek to the rescue mission. It cost them their jobs, their families, and their quality of life.

    And so I decided at that young age that I would never taste alcohol. I would never risk the experience of a pivotal point. I’ve kept that personal commitment and encourage others to do likewise.

    • Gov. Pence is correct in defending my right to adhere to my personal convictions. If I wish to exclude liquor stores from my customer list, the government should not force me to violate that conviction.

    Likewise the government has no reason to force bakers to provide services for homosexual weddings nor provide catering services to strip-club conventions. The government should not force Jewish tailors to hem Klan robes if they deem such action a violation of their convictions. Likewise, Muslim-owned pizzerias should never be forced by law to include ham on their pies when ordered to do so by hog farmers.

    That last point brings an interesting thought to mind: Notice that the flurry of lawsuits brought by homosexuals has never, to my knowledge, involved a Muslim baker. Their victims are always Christians.

    • Some may argue that homosexuals constitute a protected class. Strippers, Klansmen, and hog farmers are not protected classes. That argument underscores the folly of the government creating protected classes of any people group.

    What criteria allow homosexuals to be a protected class?

    Twin studies confirm there is no “gay gene;” no discernible genetic, physical, or biological trait that distinguishes gays from the rest of us.

    So how does one become a member of this protected class? Does he simply make a declaration of gayness? May anyone join the protected gay class? How do they join? Does one register as a homosexual with the U.S. Dept. of Justice or the U.S. Civil Rights Commission? What if he’s lying? Must he take a polygraph and obtain certificate of authenticity?

    What would happen if a Muslim pizza maker refused to serve ham to a self-declared homosexual hog farmer?

    • Take note that opponents to Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act invested little effort in
    opposing its passage. They reserved their efforts to focus on a calculated blowback after the legislation was signed into law.

    The reason should be obvious. The militant gay hate movement is making an example of Indiana. The planned aftershock is designed to send a warning to the thirteen other states planning similar legislation: “You will have hell to pay if you proceed!”

    • The conclusion: The law signed by Gov. Pence is the stuff of good governance. Any effort on his part to backpedal constitutes irresponsible capitulation.”

    • hahhararley says:

      chuck…why are you a regular at bakers?
      huh?????????????????????????????????????????????????????

    • Jim a.k.a. BWH says:

      “Twin studies confirm there is no “gay gene;” no discernible genetic, physical, or biological trait that distinguishes gays from the rest of us.”

      Right up until this ridiculous statement, the guy seemed 1/2 credible.

      Other studies that confirm no discernible genetic, physical, or biological trait that distinguishes (fill in the blank) from the rest of us:

      Happy versus sad people
      Funny versus boring people
      Generous versus stingy people
      Nervous versus laid-back people
      Passive versus aggressive people

      This just in, people are different. There is NO normal. Personality traits, tendencies, mannerisms, quirks or a thousand other things that make everyone who they are can’t be scientifically tested, measured or explained. The whole idea that somehow “normal” people choose to be gay just illuminates that dude’s ignorance.

      To each, there own. But, don’t ever be so arrogant to believe that you think you hold the high ground on what’s “normal”.

      • chuck says:

        I am in no way qualified to say, nor do I have any idea if there is a “gay” gene or some science that describes a reasonable facsimile to a “gay” gene.

        I did think the guy, made some pretty good points though.

        • Jim a.k.a. BWH says:

          No argument, Chuck. Many of his points were reasonable and it was easy to understand his viewpoint. Not that I agreed with them, but they were reasonable.

          I guess my broader point was that we have ALL known people that we KNEW were different than we were. Even in grade school, many kids stood out as different. I had no idea what gay or straight meant at 8 or 10 years old, but I sure as hell knew they weren’t like me. I doubt if they were making a “choice” in 3rd grade to be gay. So, put me squarely in the “nature” camp. Nothing scientific about opinion but I’ve been around long enough, seen enough and experienced enough to believe it’s at least reasonable opinion.

          • chuck says:

            I would have to agree with you there. The friends I have had in this life who were gay, all seemed to possess effeminate features or characteristics to some extent. There is no insult there so back off Harley, it is just my personal observation.

          • 'rhahhararley says:

            chuck…they’re still human beings.
            god created them. they are gods children
            too.
            andv unless you’re a Christian in name only
            you should love they neighor.
            you don’t have to agree with their beliefs…
            but jessus said “love they neighbor”…
            god does not make junk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  9. Jack Springer says:

    Do all gay weddings in the future have to serve pizza as the only food at their receptions?

    Raising money to send Tim Cook (CEO of Apple) and his partner to Saudi Arabia for their wedding.

    • paulwilsonkck says:

      Jack, that amplifies the stupidity of this Miracle Pizza boondoggle and the million bucks raised for them. Do you know anyone, gay or straight, who have had catered wedding pizza? I sure don’t. No one asked Miracle to, no one was denied service, yet they are up a million bucks for supposed wrong.

      • mark smith says:

        Actually Paul they are up a million because they had to go into hiding and close their doors due to threats. Middle America aka the white working class is tired of progressive agendas being forced down their collective throats. Had these people stayed open it was just a matter of time until they were burned out or worse. This was less of a statement about the pizza place stance on gay marriage and more of a statement from an increasingly growing segment of society who has grown tired of hearing the rallying cry of racism and bigotry directed toward them when they fail to fall in lockstep to t h e progressive dogma..just my take..natch

        • paulwilsonkc says:

          Mark, I think you’re correct. Thats why I said NEITHER side is behaving well. I have countless friend who consider themselves “christians” who have a moral, deeply held conviction that its not an appropriate lifestyle. And, if you look back a decade ago, they were the overwhelming majority and that school of thought wasn’t even questioned.
          The gay lobby has likely been one of the strongest and most effective of any lobby group on any topic in the history of EVer. If you stop and think how far its come in such a short period of time, it’s really quite amazing.
          But still, there are others who, either from a moral or spiritual point of view, simply don’t agree. Tollerance tells me they should have their full, unthreatened right to that belief!
          It’s become way out of balance and I fear for where we are headed on this as well and many other topics in our once, great land…

          • hahhararley says:

            fool again Wilson. It wasn’t the gay lobby.
            It was the Christians/the ceo’s/the moslems/
            the jews/the middle class/the non gay and
            lesbians who said this entire law and its
            sponsors were full of sh*t!
            America woke up…and many of my republican
            friends have spoken up against those losers
            pence and asa.
            It wasn’t just gays and lesbians…it was every
            one who believedthat we’re all created equal.
            And this is just the start.
            Harley predicted a coming revolution of
            social/political ideas.
            This lit the match.
            WE shall overcome!!!!!
            Its the people who are religious in name
            only who got their rears kicked. We are tired
            of them using religion to bring down others.
            This is the beginningof a new attitude.

          • the dude says:

            Fear the gay mafia, almost as feared as the jewish mafia.

          • 'rhahhararley says:

            dude…its not the jewish mafia…
            we’re knownas “the kosher nostra” lol

        • hahhararley says:

          wrong smith. Its the other side. The progressives/the
          minorities/the middle class who have been killed by
          the republicans/…they’re tired.
          they screamed and yelled and used their combined
          forces to non violently send pence and asa back to the
          wood shed for a beating.
          never should have tired to bring this bill up. We all
          hate discrimination (except chuckles) and now that
          we’ve waken Americans up to what has been going
          on behind their backs…its gonna be payback time.
          Oh and some news…there was some serious rioting/tear gas/looting/fires/injuriesto first repsonders/injuries to participants/burning cars/
          businesses broken into…AND IT WASN’T FERGUSON…IT WAS IN KENTUCKY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
          white people rioting!!!!over a freaking basketball game!

      • hahhararley says:

        again…shows the stupidity of the right wing.
        the law was already a lockedin law in federal terms.
        Pence’s went further.
        Shows the stupidity of the right wingers and the
        sheep they really are.
        Thanks to Wilson and springer for pointing this out.
        When willthese people wake up. In the south , they
        have the worst roads/schools/health care/mortality rates/
        education/yet they take more from the feds then they
        pay to the feds.
        How stupid are these people to give a pizza shoppe this
        money when they are at thebottom of the list on every
        major listing in their lives…except maybe coon hunting.
        Yes…those people are stupid…and they keep voting for the
        same pols that put them there.

  10. Frank says:

    What’s next? Banning Yoga for violating religious freedom?

    • paulwilsonkck says:

      Well, Frank, there are fundamentalists who disdain yoga because it’s “Eastern religious practice” and not exercise…

  11. paulwilsonkck says:

    Balbo, you have to be proud of me; there’s poop all over the place and I’ve not touched it one time!

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