AFA President Defends Christian Landscapers Refusal to Wor..

AFA President Defends Christian Landscapers Refusal to Work for
Homosexuals


- Should a Christian business have the right to turn down work from
homosexual customers? In the case of a landscaping company in Houston,
Texas, that is the question that has since last month garnered anger,
criticism, and even talk of the need for local ordinances against
discrimination.

The furor broke out after Garden Guy, Inc., sent an e-mail message to a
homosexual couple declining a landscaping job because of the couple's
sexual orientation. The e-mail, which clearly stated "We choose not to
work for homosexuals," was forwarded across the Internet and picked up
by the Houston Chronicle newspaper, which criticized Christian business
owners Todd and Sabrina Farber for their stance.

The Christian couple has received their share of hate mail ever since.
But among the supporters of the Farber's right to operate their
business according to their convictions is Tim Wildmon, president of
the American Family Association (AFA), a pro-family group that has
issued a statement on the Farbers' behalf.

Wildmon says it should not come as a shock to anyone "when a guy who
takes his faith seriously says, 'I can't support this.'" He says
someone like that "doesn't need to be persecuted for his actions,"
especially when "they have millions of people who agree with them
across the country, who have a problem with that particular behavior
and lifestyle and just don't want to be supportive of it in any way,
especially if they are themselves Christians."

The Farbers made a decision regarding with whom they chose to do
business, and if "that's what they want to do, based on their religious
convictions, that should be their right," the AFA spokesman contends.

"Todd, like millions of Americans, obviously has a moral conviction
against homosexual behavior and that lifestyle, based on his religious
beliefs," Wildmon adds. "There is absolutely nothing wrong with that."

Sabrina Farber, co-owner of Garden Guy, Inc., told the New York Times
in an interview that the company had picked up $40,000 in new business
in the past two weeks, while it lost only two clients worth about $500
each.

Mrs. Farber insists that she mentioned this, not to gloat, but to make
the point that, although the whole affair has been ugly and emotionally
draining, she and her husband would not do anything differently and
deserved credit for not making excuses about why they had turned down
the homosexual couple's business.

The November 11 Times article noted that the law appears to be on the
Farbers' side. Lisa Graybill of the American Civil Liberties Union of
Texas was quoted as saying that "sexual orientation is not protected"
by any local anti-discrimination ordinances in Houston, nor under the
federal law of public accommodations.

bob&carole wrote:
> AFA President Defends Christian Landscapers Refusal to Work for
> Homosexuals
>
> - Should a Christian business have the right to turn down work from
> homosexual customers? In the case of a landscaping company in Houston,
> Texas, that is the question that has since last month garnered anger,
> criticism, and even talk of the need for local ordinances against
> discrimination.
>
> The furor broke out after Garden Guy, Inc., sent an e-mail message to a
> homosexual couple declining a landscaping job because of the couple's
> sexual orientation. The e-mail, which clearly stated "We choose not to
> work for homosexuals," was forwarded across the Internet and picked up
> by the Houston Chronicle newspaper, which criticized Christian business
> owners Todd and Sabrina Farber for their stance.
<snip>
> The November 11 Times article noted that the law appears to be on the
> Farbers' side. Lisa Graybill of the American Civil Liberties Union of
> Texas was quoted as saying that "sexual orientation is not protected"
> by any local anti-discrimination ordinances in Houston, nor under the
> federal law of public accommodations.

Yes, the bigots have a right not to sell or provide service to
anyone they don't want to.

As well, now that the public knows they are hatemongering bigots,
the public will avoid giving them any business, which is also
_the public's_ right. They will lose more customers than the
one they refused to accept.


Bob Dog