Christian bakery that refused to make gay marriage cake found GUILTY of discrimination, Daily Express, Peter Hein.

A BAKERY that refused to make a pro-gay marriage cake has been found guilty of discrimination, in a landmark ruling.

Asher's Baking Company, of Newtownabbey, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, told some Gareth Lee that he could not have a cake decorated with a pro-gay marriage slogan.

Mr Lee, who is a volunteer of the advocacy group Queer Space then sued the company for discrimination.

After a three-day hearing, it was ruled that Asher's - which describes itself as a Christian bakery - had discriminated against Mr Lee.

Passing judgement, District Judge Isobel Brownlie said: "I believe the defendants did have the knowledge that the plaintiff was gay.

"As much as I acknowledge their religious beliefs this is a business to provide service to all. The law says they must do that.

"The defendants are not a religious organisation. They are a business for profit. There are no exceptions available.

"The defendants have unlawfully discriminated on the grounds of sexual orientation.

"This is direct discrimination for which there is no justification."

Read more here:

 

Christian-owned bakery which refused to make 'Bert and Ernie' gay marriage cake found GUILTY of discrimination

• Ashers Baking Company guilty of discrimination for refusing to make cake
• Christian-owned firm refused to 'go against the bible' for gay marriage cake
• Judge made landmark ruling after bakery was taken to court by Gareth Lee
• He ordered a cake which featured an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto 'Support Gay Marriage' but order was rejected

By Emma Glanfield for MailOnline

A Christian-owned family bakery which refused to make a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan has been found guilty of discrimination after a landmark legal action.

Belfast-based Ashers Baking Company refused to make a cake for gay rights activist Gareth Lee, which featured an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto 'Support Gay Marriage'.

The Northern Ireland Equality Commission took the bakery to court on behalf of Mr Lee and the judge today found the company guilty of 'direct discrimination'.

Giving her ruling at Belfast County Court, district judge Isobel Brownlie said: 'The defendants have unlawfully discriminated against the plaintiff on grounds of sexual discrimination.

'This is direct discrimination for which there can be no justification.'

She ordered the bakery to pay agreed damages of £500 plus court costs.

Mr Lee, a member of the LGBT advocacy group Queer Space, had wanted a cake featuring Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie with the slogan 'Support Gay Marriage' for a private function marking International Anti-Homophobia Day.

He paid in full when he placed the order at Ashers' Belfast branch but said he was left stunned two days later, when the company phoned to say it could not be processed.

Daniel McArthur, Ashers general manager, who was supported by his wife Amy and other family members in court today, said prior to the hearing that the bakery had rejected the order because it 'cannot promote a cause that goes against what the Bible says'.

Returning her verdict today, Judge Brownlie said she was satisfied the McArthur family had 'genuine and deeply held religious beliefs' but said they must have been aware that Mr Lee was gay and were aware of the ongoing same sex marriage debate.

The judge said: 'They must have known or had the perception that the plaintiff was gay.

'They must have known that the plaintiff supported gay marriage or associated with others who supported gay marriage.

'They (Ashers) are in a business supplying services to all. The law requires them to do just that.'

The courtroom in Belfast's Laganside complex was packed as the reserved judgement was delivered.

“'WE CANNOT PROMOTE A CAUSE THAT GOES AGAINST THE BIBLE'

A statement released ahead of today's verdict by Daniel McArthur on behalf of Ashers Baking Company.

'It’s now just over a year since Ashers Baking Company declined a customer’s order to decorate a cake with the campaign slogan “Support Gay Marriage”.

'We did not do this because of anything to do with the customer but because of the message – a message supporting a cause with which I and my family fundamentally disagree.

'We happily serve everyone but we cannot promote a cause that goes against what the Bible says about marriage. We have tried to be guided in our actions by our Christian beliefs.

'It has been a difficult time for our family. A year ago, we could not have anticipated that a polite refusal would result in our family being pursued through the courts by a publicly-funded quango.

'Because of the Equality Commission’s decision we have endured many anxious months.

'But we have been sustained throughout by the knowledge that God is faithful. And we have been greatly encouraged by the huge public support we have received – not only here but from around the world.

'We have also been contacted by many people of other faiths and of no faith, and from people who support same-sex marriage as well as people who support traditional marriage.

'Soon we will all know the court’s judgment, after which we may be in a position to make some further comment.'”

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An “Evangelical” Church in Nashville Embraces Gay Marriage, Churchleaders.com

What strikes me about this sermon is that it reveals that the church’s transition actually occurred three years ago, not three weeks ago. But the church’s identity is so bereft of biblical ecclesiology that they apparently don’t realize it. What do I mean?

Pastor Mitchell says in the sermon above that when the church began their “conversation” about sexuality three years ago, they extended “partial membership” to practicing gays and lesbians. That “partial membership” consisted of welcoming them to be baptized and to the Lord’s table but of barring them from leadership and from the “sacraments” of baby dedication and of marriage. The only thing that changed three weeks ago was that those final three barriers were removed. So what gives?

Well, in the evangelical tradition, baby dedication and marriage are not sacraments. The only two sacraments (or ordinances) are baptism and the Lord ‘s Supper. Those two ordinances are defining marks of church membership, but leadership, baby dedication, and marriage most assuredly are not. That means that GracePointe crossed the theological Rubicon years ago, but apparently no one noticed.

And this underlines a problem that makes many churches vulnerable to the same kind of error that has now emerged at GracePointe. Churches that do not have a biblical ecclesiology will be more likely to fold than those that do. A biblical ecclesiology is God’s provision for sound teaching, qualified leadership, and meaningful membership—all three of which are essential to a healthy church and which are certainly missing at GracePointe.

Galatians 1:6-10 English Standard Version Anglicised (ESVUK)

No Other Gospel

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant[a] of Christ.

Further Reading

1)     The rest of this article

2)   More on Gracepointe Church

3)    How Evangelicals are changing their minds on Gay Marriage, Time Magazine

Gays Are 1 in 50, Not 1 in 4, Michael Brown, In the Line of Fire. Charisma Magazine

According to a 2011 Gallup poll, Americans thought that 25 percent of the population was gay (meaning one out of every four people), while those aged 18-29 put the figure at closer to 30 percent (meaning almost one in every three people). The reality is that less than 2 percent of the population is gay (meaning fewer than one in 50 people), and many gay leaders know this is true.

People of America, you have been duped.

For many years, we were told that "one in every 10 Americans" was gay, a figure based on the massively flawed 1948 study of Alfred Kinsey. (Kinsey actually relied on data from male prisoners to come up with his statistics.)

Even though gay activists knew the figure was inflated, they used it as a convenient lie, since, as two leading gay strategists noted in the late 1980s, "there is strength in numbers." (For details, go here.) As expressed by a gay leader a few days ago, "The truth is, numbers matter, and political influence matters."

In other words, if Americans realized that less than 2 percent of the population was gay rather 10 percent (let alone 25 percent), they would have a very different view of "gay rights."

To be sure, it is wrong to bully or oppress or mistreat anyone based on gender or ethnicity or romantic attractions, so that is not the question. And whether gays are 1 percent of the population or 90 percent, they should not be mistreated.

Read more here:

Further Reading:

Equal Marriage : Just Plain Wrong: A Christian Perspective on the Gay Marriage Debate in the UK Equal Marriage; Just Plain Wrong.

Gay Rights Activists Publicly Display Names of Conservative Opponents, Charisma Magazine

Opponents of Houston's proposed gay rights ordinance say that intimidation—not openness—is the motive behind supporters' move to publicize the names of more than 30,000 people who signed petitions asking that the measure be put on a referendum ballot.

With more than 30,000 "pre-verified" signatures collected favouring the referendum, opponents say that even if some are deemed fraudulent or to have come from people who are ineligible to vote, there will still be enough signatures to pass the threshold of 17,269 required to place the ordinance on the ballot for a public vote.

Gay rights supporters are asking citizens to pore through the paperwork and search for evidence of voter fraud.

"Was your name placed on the petition without your permission?" asks a headline on the homepage at heropetition.com, which backs the city's so-called equal rights ordinance. The measure was pushed through the city council by Mayor Annise Parker, an avowed lesbian. But church groups and others want the issue placed before the voters.

The ordinance would extend special legal protection to lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people and would apply to businesses that employ as few as 15 people.

Read more here:

Further Reading

'Thought Police' Target NFL Super Bowl-Winning Coach for 'Intolerance', Charisma Magazine

Tony Dungy.

Former Super Bowl-winning coach and current NBC football analyst Tony Dungy became the latest target for the "Thought Police" last week, when he said he wouldn't have drafted openly gay player Michael Sam because of the distractions it would cause for the team.

Said Dungy, "I wouldn't have [drafted] him. Not because I don't believe Michael Sam should have a chance to play, but I wouldn't want to deal with all of it. It's not going to be totally smooth ... things will happen."

And for his innocuous comments, Dungy was dubbed the "World's Worst Person in Sports" by ESPN's Keith Olbermann, and other swift attacks on Dungy came from all over.

Read more here

Further Reading

Equal Marriage,  Just plain wrong

The Flaming Herald, by Bert Farias, Charisma Magazine. The Raw, Naked Truth About Homosexuality

Gay rights and gay marriage have become one of the major issues of our culture today. In such times, Christians cannot afford to lose their moral compass or compromise the scriptures.

Here is a reminder that will strengthen our moral bearings:

The devil hates it when someone brings the truth out into the open. He likes to keep all light and truth hidden in the darkness. He hates it when someone speaks plainly and clearly about sin. On the other hand, he loves to promote all that is abominable and evil. "Off with his head," has always been the cry against those who confront sin and preach repentance.

So here is the raw, naked truth on homosexuality that we must never forget:

The Bible says that homosexuality is unnatural. Men in gay relationships have given up the natural use of the woman and women the natural use of the man.  

Read more here

Further Reading

A Call for Humility and Repentance in the Gay Community,  Flaming Herald.

How Obama's LGBT Executive Order Endangers Religious Liberty, Todd Starnes, Charisma Magazine

President Obama signed an executive order Monday barring federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity—ignoring the pleas of Christian and other faith leaders to include an exemption for religious organizations.

"Thanks to your passion and advocacy and the irrefutable rightness of your cause, our government—the government of the people, by the people and for the people—will become just a little bit fairer," the president told a gathering in the White House.

The executive order would prevent Christian and other religious organizations with federal contracts from requiring workers to adhere to the tenets of their religious beliefs. Christianity Today reports the order could impact religious non-profits such as World Vision, World Relief and Catholic Charities.  To read more please click here

Council tells churches they must conduct gay marriages

Council tells churches they must conduct gay marriages

Churches

Simon Calvert of The Christian Institute said the Council’s letter shows the need for churches to know their legal rights.

He said, “there is no legal reason whatsoever for churches to stop holding marriages in the ways they always have. They are free to do so”.

The Christian Institute has produced a new free legal guide which gives reassurance that churches are well within their rights to say no to same-sex marriages.

Bureaucrats

“The behaviour of Essex County Council goes to show why churches need to know their legal rights, because bureaucrats who want to push for gay marriage will try and go beyond the law”, warned Mr Calvert.

He added: “We want to be clear that Christians still have the right to express their belief that marriage is between a man and woman. Christians have every reason to be confident and bold in upholding the truth about marriage.”

“This is just the kind of thing we feared would happen,” said Colin Hart, Campaign Director of the Coalition for Marriage, which spearheaded opposition to the introduction of same-sex marriage.

A litmus test for orthodoxy

A litmus test for orthodoxy

The Evangelical Alliance’s decision to remove Steve Chalke’s organisation Oasis from membership raises the question of what defines an evangelical today. Justin Brierley reflects on why homosexuality has become the latest tipping point.

‘So where do you stand on homosexuality?’ asked the church leader I had met only five minutes ago.

We were attending a media event, and had reached the wine-and-canapés-hobnobbing part that inevitably follows. It’s the kind of question which, in any other context, would seem vastly inappropriate from someone you had just been introduced to. ‘Terrible weather we’ve been having...so what do you think about gay sex?’

There is an unwritten (and slightly depressing) rule in some evangelical circles that the quickest way to ascertain if a person is ‘sound’ is to find out what they think about sexuality. We live in a world of ever-increasing categorisation, and homosexuality seems to have become the de-facto crunch issue that can potentially mark you in or out of the evangelical fold.

Christians put B&B up for sale after death threats, from The Christian Institute

Peter and Hazelmary Bull refused a double room to a gay couple in 2008.

• Christian B&B owners who refused to let gay couple stay suffer death threats and are forced to sell up because of a lack of business (dailymail.co.uk, 19 September 2013)
• Scandal Christian couple forced to sell up Marazion B&B (thisiscornwall.co.uk, 19 September 2013)
• Christians lose appeal in B&B case (10 February 2012)

Thu, 19 Sep 2013

Christians who suffered death threats and vandalism after being sued by a gay couple have put their B&B up for sale.

Hazelmary Bull speaking in 2011

Peter and Hazelmary Bull spent winter “shivering” and sometimes going “hungry” because of the crushing impact of equality laws.

The Bulls will only allow married couples to share a double bed at their guesthouse near Penzance in Cornwall because of their Christian beliefs.

Their policy, which applies to heterosexuals and homosexuals alike, has been in place since the business opened, and is well adverstised.

Sued

But as soon as new gay rights laws were introduced in 2007, the Government’s tourism board for England struck the Bulls’ B&B off their approved list.

A few years later in 2011, the Bulls were successfully sued by gay couple Martyn Hall and Steven Preddy, who won £3,600 in damages.

The UK Supreme Court will hear the Bulls’ appeal later this month in a case backed by The Christian Institute.

Threats

But in the meantime the B&B has been targeted with vandalism, wheel nuts have been removed from the Bulls’ car and recently a dead rabbit was nailed to their fence.

The B&B’s website was hacked and replaced with pornography, and the couple have received death threats.

The decision to sell the property – which is also their home – was not taken suddenly, Mrs Bull said.

Dread

“It was a gradual process; we just noticed more and more that we couldn’t make the mortgage repayments” she said.

“Last winter was terrible. We were actually shivering and were hungry. We are coming towards next winter and dreading it.

“In 2013, two people who worked all their lives at this have ended up cold and hungry. It’s not right.

Future

“This is like a death in the family. I never thought it would end like this. We are not facing the future with any real enthusiasm.”

The Bulls’ appeal to the UK Supreme Court, to be heard next month, is supported by The Christian Institute’s legal defence fund.

Spokesman Mike Judge said: “It’s a chilling view of equality which ends up treating a pair of honest Christians like this. I very much hope the UK Supreme Court introduces a more balanced approach.”

 Watch our latest video News Bulletin

Clegg’s ‘dinosaur’ jibe at gay marriage opponents

Nick Clegg talked about celebrating same-sex marriage outside Parliament.

• Nick Clegg’s speech to Lib Dem conference 2013 (libdemvoice.org, 18 September 2013)
• Same-sex marriage opponents ARE bigots, says Clegg ex-aide (21 September 2012)
• Clegg’s ‘bigots’ jibe was like bullying, says poll (19 September 2012)
• Clegg tries to reassure churches over ‘bigots’ gaffe (13 September 2012)

Thu, 19 Sep 2013

Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg used his conference speech to sneer at those who wanted to maintain the traditional meaning of marriage.

He said that while he was celebrating the redefinition of marriage outside the House of Lords, “dinosaurs” were on the inside voting against it.

As the vote was taking place, Mr Clegg said the right place to be was with campaigners outside Parliament clapping along to the Abba song, ‘Dancing Queen’.

Concerns

Lib Dem grandee Shirley Williams was one of those within his own party who had raised concerns about redefining marriage.

Last year Nick Clegg’s office was forced to retract a speech, issued to the media, which called opponents of gay marriage “bigots”.

Beating a hasty retreat, Nick Clegg said he never intended to make the remark and it was a drafting error by his officials.

Respect

He wrote to the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church, insisting he respects those who disagree with him over the redefinition of marriage.

But a former aide to Mr Clegg said people who want to retain traditional marriage are bigots and the Lib Dem leader should have said so.

A poll conducted in the wake of the “bigot” slur showed that most people thought it was wrong to use the word, and half thought it was a form of bullying.

At the time, Colin Hart of the Coalition for Marriage said: “Mr Clegg has badly damaged his reputation by throwing around this cheap insult.”

 Watch our latest video News Bulletin

http://www.christian.org.uk/news/cleggs-dinosaur-jibe-at-gay-marriage-opponents/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed

A Matter of Integrity, Steve Chalke

I'm sorry, Steve Chalke  I don't agree with you

Conservative Professor Writes Devastating Response To Angry Gay Marriage Supporter

Home  »  Education  »  BADASS – Conservative Professor Writes Devastating Response To Angry Gay Marriage Supporter

Aug 24, 2013 65 Comments Infidel Alie

Excerpted from Clash Daily – Dear Edward:

I want to take the time to thank you for writing and telling me that I should be fired from my position as a tenured professor because I am “the biggest embarrassment to higher education in America.” I also want to thank you for responding when I asked you exactly how you arrived at that conclusion. Your response, “because you insist that marriage requires one man and one woman,” was both helpful and concise.

While I respect your right to conclude that I am the biggest embarrassment to higher education in America, I think you’re wrong. In fact, I don’t even think I’m the biggest embarrassment to higher education in the state of North Carolina. But since you’re a liberal and you support “choice” – provided we’re talking about dismembering children and not school vouchers for those who weren’t dismembered – I want to give you some options. In fact, I’m going to describe the antics of ten professors, official campus groups, and invited campus speakers in North Carolina and let you decide which constitutes the biggest embarrassment to higher education.

1. In the early spring semester of 2013, a women’s studies professor and a psychology professor at Western Carolina University co-sponsored a panel on bondage and S&M. The purpose of the panel was to teach college students how to inflict pain on themselves and others for sexual pleasure. When you called me the biggest embarrassment in higher education, you must not have known about their bondage panel. Maybe you were tied up that evening and couldn’t make it.

2. At UNC Chapel Hill, there is a feminist professor who believes that women can lead happy lives without men. That’s nothing new. But what’s different is that she thinks women can form lifelong domestic partnerships with dogs and that those relationships will actually be fulfilling enough to replace marital relationships with men. I can’t make this stuff up, Ed. I don’t drop acid. Well, at least not since the late 1980s. But I promise this story is real and not an LSD flashback.

3. At Duke University, feminists hired a “sex worker” (read: prostitute) to speak as part of an event called the Sex Workers Art Show. After his speech, the male prostitute pulled down his pants, got down on his knees, and inserted a burning sparkler into his rectum. While it burned, he sang a verse of “the Star Spangled Banner.” I believe that stripping incident was almost as embarrassing as the other one involving the Duke Lacrosse team.

4. A porn star was once paid to give a speech at UNCG. The topic was “safe sodomy.” After her speech, the feminist pornographer sold autographed butt plugs to students in attendance. I’m not sure whether the ink could contribute to rectal cancer. I’m no health expert. But I do know it was pretty darned embarrassing when the media picked up on the story.

5. A few years ago at UNC-Chapel Hill, a feminist group built a large vibrator museum in the middle of the campus quad as a part of their “orgasm awareness week.” I think that was probably the climax of the semester, academically speaking. But they certainly weren’t too embarrassed to display a vibrator that was made out of wood back in the 1920s. Keep your batteries charged, Ed. We’re about halfway done.

6. A feminist administrator at UNC-Wilmington sponsored a pro-abortion event. During the event they sold tee shirts saying “I had an abortion” to students who … well, had abortions. That’s right, Ed. The students were encouraged to boast about the fact that they had killed their own children. That’s how the UNC system is preserving the future of our great Tar Heel state.

7. The following semester, that same UNCW administrator sponsored a workshop teaching students how to appreciate their orgasms. I learned art appreciation in college. Today, college kids are taught orgasm appreciation. I will let you decide whether that’s an embarrassment to higher ed., Ed.

8 A few years ago, a UNCW English professor posted nude pictures of under-aged girls as a part of an “art exhibit” in the university library. The Provost then ordered the nude pictures to be moved away from the library and into the university union. This decision was made after several pedophiles had previous been caught downloading child pornography in the university library just a few yards away from the location of the display. The English professor was incensed so she asked the Faculty Senate to censure the provost for violating her “academic freedom.” The faculty senate sided with the feminist professor. The provost was later pressured to leave the university.

9. A different feminist professor at UNCW accused a male professor of putting tear gas in her office. She was later caught putting her mail in a microwave oven. She did this because she thought people were trying to poison her with anthrax and that the oven would neutralize the toxins. She was not placed on leave for psychiatric reasons. Instead, she was designated as the university’s official “counter terrorism” expert.

10 And then there is Mike Adams. He thinks marriage is between a man and a woman.

So those are the choices, Ed. You can simply write back and tell me which of these professors, groups, or guest speakers has caused “the biggest embarrassment to higher education” – either in North Carolina or in America altogether. Or you can just concede that our system of hire education is the real embarrassment because it has been hijacked by radical feminism. And please pardon any puns – especially those that take the form of ms-spelled words.