Posted on 03/19/2015 8:15:04 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
A wedding videographer in Ohio could face legal action after she declined to shoot a lesbian couples' wedding ceremony because it would have conflicted with her biblical understanding that marriage should only be between one man and one woman.
When Jenn Moffitt and her partner Jerra Kincely were searching in February for a videographer to film their wedding, they sent an email inquiry to a local video production company called Next Door Stories in Bexley, Ohio, a town in the Columbus suburbs.
CNN reports that the couple got an email back from the company's owner, Courtney Schmackers, on Feb. 4 politely informing them that she doesn't offer her services for same-sex weddings.
"Hello, Thank you for reaching out about wedding videography. How did you hear about Next Door Stories?" Schmackers' email asked. "Unfortunately at this time I do not offer services for same-sex weddings, but thank you for your inquiry!"
In an interview with CNN that was published Monday, Moffitt said that she was stunned by Schmackers' response to her request.
"I couldn't believe it," Moffitt explained. "It is a small business, and I thought this was a tight-knit community. We wanted to support local commerce and to get that kind of response was astounding."
Moffitt and Kincely have filed a complaint against Next Door Stories with the Bexley Area Chamber of Commerce. The couple has also taken to Facebook to explain the conflict, which has stirred outrage among gay rights advocates, which has shined a negative light on Schmackers' business.
Although Schmackers' refused to provide a comment to CNN on why she refused to provide her services to the lesbian couple, The Daily Mail reports that Schmackers took to Facebook to explain her decision.
"I made a business decision based on my spiritual beliefs and the biblical definition of marriage because I thought that I had a right to that," Schmackers wrote. "Unfortunately, I gave the wrong answer to the wrong person, who decided to make a private issue into a public platform and now I am fully experiencing the consequences. I am sorry you had to be exposed to it, and I'm open to any and all conversation regarding it."
Although the couple filed the complaint, Ohio is one of 13 states that does not allow same-sex marriages, and Bexley is also a municipality that does not prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation. Additionally, the Bexley Chamber of Commerce does not prohibit its members from discriminating based on sexual orientation.
The Bexley Chamber of Commerce issued a statement through Facebook on Monday condemning Schmackers' refusal of service. The post continued by stating that board members have decided that the chamber's policy must be changed so that this type of "discrimination" does not happen again.
"At our Feb. 11 board meeting, we discussed in detail how the Bexley Area Chamber of Commerce could ensure this does not happen again. The Chamber Board believes that discrimination in any form is wrong and should not be tolerated. At this meeting, the board agreed that our membership policy must be revised to reflect this. We began the process of re-writing [sic] our policies and guidelines."
Of course, it would be a "wedding" they wouldn't soon forget...
“no one will buy or sell without taking the mark of the beast”
The LEFT claims “freedom of choice”. YET.....they want TO FORCE US TO SUBMIT TO THEIR DEPRAVITY with no choice?
They have a serious mental disease and spiritual disorder for believing this way.
Every Christian owned business in that chamber should quit and start a Christian Business group.
If they know that you don’t want to be there the behavior they want you to tape would be even more outrageous than normal, just to make the person uncomfortable.
this is a lesson to all business owners. Just do the job... freehand the shoot and make sure there is plenty of jitter and background noise including your speakerphone cell calls to some technical support line. Bake your cakes with plenty of corn flour too. you may end up not getting paid, but if these militants are going to rob you of your freedoms, you can rob them of their “special mementos” in return. You also get to stay out of court and not lose your house
It is worse then just “forcing” us to celebrate depravity which their “Just” laws certainly do (LOL) which is unconstitutional-—they are forcing the concept/worldview of satanism/paganism in our Christian children, that Christianity is evil and bigoted and haters, and that sodomy and vile, degrading, irrational behaviors are “Good”.
It removes Reason from Just Law and creates Lies for the foundation of our children’s minds......elevates the Limbic area of the brain—sexualizes children which in a virtuous culture, the Limbic area should be suppressed (the irrational, so Reason will eventually rule) (Classical Education). Virtue is habituated and learned always in young childhood.
They are literally flipping 3000 years of ethics and meaning of Words with all the “Pride” indoctrination and lies-—esp. in schools—to the satanic, pagan and satanic ethics of Ancient civilizations and that of some European “child Sex Ring” capitals in Scandinavia with the ethics of Afghanis and ME cultures where boys are used for recreational sex.
“It isn’t about being treated fairly. It’s about punishing anyone who will not celebrate the gay agenda.”
NAILED it.
Fine...call the local mosque and ask if they rent their facility...if they do, ask if a BBQ can be held.
If that doesn't work, ask if businesses would support a nazi day of recognition.
You'll find out real quick that the chamber does indeed discriminate.
Commitment to your values. Show them the fight, that’s why. If I couldn’t outright deny them service without getting sued, I’d exploit every opportunity to make it a miserable experience for them. You can get the point across and smile without doing or saying anything to land yourself in civil court. My stance is they only get one shot at a “wedding” video and I’d make damn sure it’s one they would never be able to forget. I’d also make it a point to let them know I was taking their job against my will. That would ward off most attempts at this BS and they wouldn’t be able to sue me for it either
It is tolerance of evil, which is extremelyevil, and should never be promoted in a true “Justice” system which is required to only promote “public virtue”.
Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.—Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Why don’t companies simply reply that they have other commitments?
Just like the bakeries and florist, the preacher was $$$$et up. He should have just told them he wasn’t available on the date requested.
...just to make the person uncomfortable.
Meanwhile, I could certainly say things that make them uncomfortable.
Do they really want me quoting scripture about homosexuality while I video or wonder around? i.e. if they don’t like what I represent, they shouldn’t hire me. You get what you pay for.
...just to make the person uncomfortable.
We had a friends wedding there and every “professional wedding person” there said we were sitting on a wedding site gold mine. In a normal world, we’d already be doing it, but in the current political environment my wife and I are trying to come up with how to handle these perverts when (not if) this sort of thing happens to us.
Obviously if you are on the opposite side of the liberal gays and/or lesbian issue, you have NO FREEDOM to choose who to do business with. Time for another new law that allows business owners to do business with whomever they choose.
"Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;"
~(Isaiah 5:20)
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