I heard on the news this morning about a law passed by the state of Mississippi. It was a “religious freedom” law that assured business owners that they could refuse to serve those that would cause them to violate their religious beliefs. This post might not be like my typical post. While I firmly believe practicing the homosexual lifestyle is a sin, I also have come to realize that I am a bit cloudy on the above mentioned law. So, the rest of this post is dedicated to questions that came to mind as I considered it . . .
Does the government have a right to dictate who I must employ or by whom I may be employed?
If I sell a product or perform a service, am I working for my customer?
If a predominantly Muslim country passed a law that Muslim shop owners did not have to serve Christians, would I be OK with that?
Should a gay man who owns a sign company be forced to rent a sign to a preacher who wants the sign to say “Repent! Homosexuality is a sin!”
If I sell a product or service, be it wedding cake, flowers, or a gun . . . Am I responsible for what the purchaser does with it?
Would Jesus the carpenter have refused to build a table or a bed for a gay customer? What if he knew what it would be used for? Would it make a difference?
Is it just me, or is it a little difficult to answer these with a consistent world view?