In many parts of the world Christians are being persecuted and killed for their faith. All over the USA this Easter Sunday, people of faith will be making their way to church to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus without fear of harassment and intimidation. Even though Christians are not being killed in America for their faith, at least not yet, they are being persecuted. The religious persecution that rose its ugly head this time was perpetrated by the LGBT Community in general and by Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, in particular.
What was all the hubbub about? It was about the Indiana Religious Freedom Law. A Nazi-esque1 law which would enshrine2 discrimination against gays and lesbians by private business owners who also happen to be people of faith, specifically, the Christian faith.
Tim Cook is well aware of how conservative Christians behave towards their neighbors. They roam the countryside looking for any gay or lesbian to attack and kill at will—zero tolerance. Christians are also well known for setting off IEDs at gay and lesbian parades. In addition, it’s a well-known fact that no Buddhist, Muslim, Jew or atheist is safe as long as those intolerant, religious fanatics are allowed to run wild. They must be stopped at all cost!
So who are these Nazi-esque people of faith? Well, one example is Memories Pizza in Indiana. Memories Pizza is an alleged discriminatory business run by owners who have taken a stand for their religious convictions. All hell broke loose when they said they would refuse to cater gay/lesbian weddings. How dare they! Pizza at a same-sex wedding, really? Hum…maybe there’s a business opportunity here.
Now, what was that again? Memories Pizza would only refuse to cater gay/lesbian weddings; they wouldn’t call the local Gestapo to have the couple arrested in the middle of the night and sent to a concentration camp. Is this what the protests are all about?
On another issue, if I understand where Tim Cook is coming from, pizzeria businesses are a vibrant part of the 21st-Century economy in those parts of the country.3 I guess we can all look forward to seeing Apple frozen pizzas in our local Publix sometime soon.
Based on what he has said in his postings, it’s obvious that Tim Cook doesn’t know a thing about straight couples and I would even go so far as to say he doesn’t know much about same-sex couples either. What gay or lesbian couple in their right mind would pick a conservative Christian business to cater their same-sex wedding? It would never happen. This isn’t about discriminatory business practices; it’s all about marginalizing people of faith and Christians in particular. The Indiana pizza shop said they wouldn’t refuse to serve anyone who came into their restaurant; but participating in a same-sex wedding ceremony is a different matter altogether. It would be like a same-sex couple trying to get Jerry Falwell (if he was still alive) to perform their marriage ceremony. Are gay/lesbians really that stupid or is it that the LGBT Community could care less if they offend other people’s beliefs?
I agree with Tim Cook that religious freedom laws will hurt businesses. Memories Pizza in Indiana had to shut down after receiving threatening messages.4 When it comes to making money, Tim Cook has no problem violating his own left-wing principles since Apple conducts business in countries that have little or no regard for gays, lesbians, or women’s rights.5
In one of Tim Cook’s articles, he said that, “Men and women have fought and died fighting to protect our country’s founding principles of freedom and equality.”6 Well, I’ve known a few of those who fought to protect our country’s founding principles but none of them ever said that they fought for same-sex marriage or abortion rights.
In another on-line post, Tim Cook said, “I have great reverence for religious freedom. As a child, I was baptized in a Baptist church, and faith has always been an important part of my life.”7 Could it be that the Baptist church that baptized Tim Cook didn’t require him to make a profession of faith? If they did, then wouldn’t they be discriminatory because their decision to baptize him was based on his religious beliefs. Hypothetically, what if Tim Cook professed to being an atheist? Would the Baptist church be wrong to refuse to baptize him?
If this whole debate is really all about equality and inclusion, then I’d like to see either Sean Hannity or Ann Coulter give an address at the next Democratic National Convention and I’d like to hear Tim Cook give a Sunday school lesson on 1 Corinthians 6:9.
In my opinion, Tim Cook is more the radical left-wing activist than the CEO of a high-tech company. In all his posts he never passed on an opportunity to associate people of faith with racism, hate, bigotry, intolerance, and, of course, the Nazis. Congratulations Tim! You’ve become a highly decorated hero in the war on Christianity.
”It’s Not Discrimination If It’s Religious Freedom,” Tim Cook, Sometimes Political (blog), March 29, 2015, http://sometimespolitical.com/tag/tim-cook/. ↩
“Tim Cook: Pro-discrimination ‘religious freedom’ laws are dangerous,” Tim Cook, The Washington Post, March 29, 2015, http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/pro-discrimination-religious-freedom-laws-are-dangerous-to-america/2015/03/29/bdb4ce9e-d66d-11e4-ba28-f2a685dc7f89_story.html. ↩
Ibid. ↩
“Memories Pizza In Indiana Receives Donations After Backlash Over Gay Weddings Stance,” Ed Mazza, The Huffington Post, updated April 4, 2015, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/01/memories-pizza-gofundme-donations_n_6989852.html. ↩
“Carly Fiorina: Tim Cook Opposition to Indiana Religious Freedom Law Hypocritical ,” Reid J. Epstein, The Wall Street Journal, April 3, 2015, http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2015/04/03/carly-fiorina-tim-cook-opposition-to-indiana-religious-freedom-law-hypocritical/?mod=WSJ_Politics_Blog. ↩
Cook, “Pro-discrimination ‘religious freedom’ laws are dangerous.” ↩
Ibid. ↩