Family farm banned from city farmers market over refusal to host gay weddings

Family farm banned from city farmers market over refusal to host gay weddings

Country Mill Farms is run by Stephen Tennes and his wife Bridget, and they sold their produce at a market run by the city of East Lansing, Michigan for years. The family also hosted weddings on their property but in 2016 temporarily stopped doing so amid controversy over a Facebook post in which the family said it objects to same-sex weddings because of their Catholic faith.

The family eventually announced in December, 2016 Facebook post that it would resume holding weddings but exclude gay couples. This prompted the city of East Lansing to ban Country Mill from its market under a newly-created policy saying all vendors must adhere to the city's non-discrimination policy in their general operations. ​

Let's aside the issue of marriage on the side for a moment (here in this discussion).

The difference between Conservatives and a lot of those on the Progressive Left is that Progressives seem to want to force things on people and not recognize the right to individual choice. To these Progressives, that family does not really "own" their farm. It is not theirs to do with as they please. It is acceptable for society to impose obligations on them... having to host an event on their own family farm with which the owners disagree.

 

Such is life. You make a choice, and there's a consequence.

No one forced them to allow gay weddings. They just didn't let them ban gay weddings AND be at the farmer's market. That's a natural consequence of being a bigot. People tend not to want you around. Maybe other bigots will go directly to their farm and buy stuff? That's still allowed.

 

When you say weddings do you mean the actual wedding service or the reception?? As a rule Catholics are married in a church.

 

Appears the OP thinks I'm still obligated to buy the produce from the Country Mill Farm. I don't think so!!

 

I don't think the city banning the business from its farmers market is constitutional.

 

It probably is, but it's wrong and an affront to liberty.

Using the government's power and facilities to enact a boycott to put pressure on a small family farm to host events they don't want to.

 

So the owners of this Fmily farm are progressives who don't recognize the right of this couple's choice to get married?

 

Well it's prohibiting freedom of thought/speech . Same situation in NY with government officials targeting chic filet because of owners opinion.

 

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Like the evil sodomites who tried to beat down Lot's door to sodomize God's two angels... this will not end well.

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And that story is exactly like what is happening here, in a way. Those people are trying to force themselves on this family.

They are not knocking on that door and politely asking if the family would like to promote and share their values. Instead they are demanding it and threatening them.

Anyone who doesn't comply, they try to drive out of business. And they have no qualms about using the government's power to do it.

 

I think it's more accurate to say they believe it a sin against God and they don't want to participate.

 

The couple can still get married without this family farm having to host them and implicitly sending a message of support.

It's a FAMILY farm, a small family farm.

Why do you think if they let someone else carry out a wedding there, they should be required to host another wedding which they do not approve of?

 

And this small family farm can still sell their produce without using the city farmers market.

 

Except its not.

 

The Bible defines SIN as the transgression of God's Law.

Bible-believing Christians know God's Law concerning evil sodomites = Leviticus 20:13

In Bible history not only did Israelites SINFULLY rebel against God's Law... allowing sodomites and other evil SINFUL abominations in their kingdom... they also allowed sodomites to desecrate God's temple... which brought God's wrath down on both Jerusalem and the temple = God totally destroyed both Jerusalem and His own temple, mass-killing many Israelites in the process.

As Paul told Timothy... the holy scriptures [Old Testament] are for our instruction in righteousness = SO BE INSTRUCTED !!

https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/2-Timothy-3-16/
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So you quote the bible AND Hitler. Truly amazing.

The bible also tells you to kill disobedient children. Do you do that too?

 

If they want to participate in public events they have to respect discrimination laws.

Stop holding weddings or go private. Easy choice. Apparently they can't make it on their own without the liberals.

 

Hope they sue. Liberal totalitarianism has had a long enough run here.

 

The Bible does NOT "tell you to kill disobedient children".

God's law allows parents of a rebellious son that is totally out of control dispute the parents' correction to bring it to the elders [authorities] attention and that son can be executed according to God's Law. Deuteronomy 21:18-21

Today such "children" are called "juvenile delinquents" and "bad seeds" who are usually criminals the rest of their lives... maybe even serial killers. Parents might witness that "bad seed" early enough to nip it in the bud.

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So you are saying you would be good with the elders of a church killing a rebellious son?

 

So you're saying they're the ones who don't respect the gay couples choice, then?

The OP talks about choice. What you say means that the point the OP was trying to make has been debunked. It's not progressives who don't respect people's choice. It's religious zealots.

But we have known that for a long time. So it's nothing new.

 

Why do you find that amazing ??

In Hitler's Third Reich almost all Germans were Christians... and there were many official Third Reich Christian holidays.

At the Nuremberg Trials, Julius Streicher testified that Hitler's Nuremberg racial laws were patterned after Old Testament racial law.

Julius Streicher before the International Military Tribunal, Nuremberg, 14 November 1945 - 1 October 1946,
Volume 12, Secretariat of the Tribunal, Nuremberg, Germany, page 315

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What is the difference between that, and putting a sign in a restaurant saying "we don't serve blacks"?

That was exactly the excuse used by Jim Crow advocates: "Black people can go eat at another restaurant" Almost 60 years after the Civil Rights Acts made that illegal, looks like there are still advocates, and there are still people who defend bigotry.

Shameful!

 

No I did NOT say that.

God knows that you are committing false witness against Him and against me.

You are on very shaky ground.

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Why don't these gay couples ask Muslim owned venues to host their weddings?