As a consumer, if a shop is open to the public you assume that business owner has matured socially, spiritually, ethically, and morally to accept all persons, potential repeat customers, as well as potential word-of-mouth advertising, into their store. You never expect to be turned away or to have to disclaim who you are before you begin to browse and prove you deserve to give them your business once you have made your choices.
Also, as a business owner, especially if you are Christian, how do you know God didn’t send that gay couple into your shop to test your compassion? To help you expand your ability toward good will?
Now, re: the pizza gofundme:
This particular portion of the post isn’t concerned with the act of bigotry, nor the pizza establishment, nor the media’s role in spinning this way out of control, but rather the gofundme that raised an astounding $842 grand in 48 hrs for a hypothetical situation. Misrepresented facts or not, overblown inappropriate Yelp reviews or not, these donations, tiny hate packages by anonymous cowards, came through because people support the concept of using your spirituality or religion to inform and justify discrimination.
This is a strange story to say the least and, honestly, I have a hard time processing the entirety of it – esp. in terms of ‘businesses right to refuse service’ – I certainly feel that businesses have the right to refuse service from time-to-time, esp creative businesses – I would never want to design anything that perpetuates oppression from cakes to prisons – but the fundamental is clear; its one thing to be a bigot. its wholly something else and a different-sort-of scary to give money in support of hypothetical notions of oppression.
-oskar
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