Flowers, Conscience, and Religious Freedom- The Barronnelle Case

Denny Burke, has written a piece for CNN on the Washington State florist who is being sued by that state's Attorney General. In the article he recaps the situation as follows.

Stutzman is the Washington florist who has been sued for living out her Christian beliefs. In 2013, a long-time friend and customer came to her flower shop and asked her to provide flowers for his gay wedding. Stutzman had known this man and had done business with him for about nine years. Nevertheless, she told him that she could not participate in his wedding "because of my relationship with Jesus."
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The court also ruled recently that both the state and the same-sex couple, who each filed lawsuits against her, may collect damages and attorneys fees not only from her business, but from Stutzman personally.
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Keep in mind that Stutzman does not refuse service to gay people. Indeed she had been selling flowers to this gay couple for nine years. She has also employed gay people in her flower shop. She had a friendship with the man suing her and cared for him personally and wished for her relationship with him to continue. She simply could not defy her conscience and lend her creative talent to help celebrate what her faith says she cannot celebrate.

Since then, the Attorney General offered her a deal. She could get off with a fine of 2,001 (an odd amount) and by selling her conscience (an unspeakably high amount). She would have to agree to admit wrongdoing and to be willing to participate in gay weddings. Ms. Barronnelle recently wrote a response to the Attorney General. Note her submissive spirit and firm conviction. She is a beautiful model of being faithful to Christ's Word and his Love.

Thank you for reaching out and making an offer to settle your case against me. 

As you may imagine, it has been mentally and emotionally exhausting to be at the center of this controversy for nearly two years. I never imagined that using my God-given talents and abilities, and doing what I love to do for over three decades, would become illegal. Our state would be a better place if we respected each other’s differences, and our leaders protected the freedom to have those differences. Since 2012, same-sex couples all over the state have been free to act on their beliefs about marriage, but because I follow the Bible’s teaching that marriage is the union of one man and one woman, I am no longer free to act on my beliefs. 

Your offer reveals that you don’t really understand me or what this conflict is all about. It’s about freedom, not money. I certainly don’t relish the idea of losing my business, my home, and everything else that your lawsuit threatens to take from my family, but my freedom to honor God in doing what I do best is more important. Washington’s constitution guarantees us “freedom of conscience in all matters of religious sentiment.” I cannot sell that precious freedom. You are asking me to walk in the way of a well-known betrayer, one who sold something of infinite worth for 30 pieces of silver. That is something I will not do. 

I pray that you reconsider your position. I kindly served Rob for nearly a decade and would gladly continue to do so. I truly want the best for my friend. I’ve also employed and served many members of the LGBT community, and I will continue to do so regardless of what happens with this case. You chose to attack my faith and pursue this not simply as a matter of law, but to threaten my very means of working, eating, and having a home. If you are serious about clarifying the law, then I urge you to drop your claims against my home, business, and other assets and pursue the legal claims through the appeal process. Thanks again for writing and I hope you will consider my offer.

Persecution is coming brothers and sisters. Let us be ready to suffer out of love for Christ and neighbor. They may hate and speak all sorts of evil against us, but let it be a small way in which we follow Jesus outside the camp to suffer (Hebrews 13:13).

"50 Shades of Shame - The Evolution of Pornography"

Here is an article by Dr. Mohler on the 50 shades of grey. Here are two quotes from the article

One of the hallmarks of the Christian worldview is an affirmation of the unity of the transcendentals — the good, the beautiful, and the true. Christianity affirms — and demands — that the good, the beautiful, and the true are actually one, unified in their source. The source of what is good, beautiful, and true is none other than God himself, who alone is infinitely good, beautiful, and true. Our very knowledge of beauty, goodness, and truth are due to God’s gifts of revelation and creation. He defines the good, the true, and the beautiful by his being, and they are unified in him....

The corruption of the gift of sex is, more than often realized, an assault upon that human dignity that is the Creator’s gift. The attempt to declare beauty at the expense of goodness and truth is at the heart of the problem of pornography. Now, we live in a society fast losing even a sense of shame about its pornographic obsessions.

God, Singleness, & Marriage: How Singleness Serves the Kingdom, Pt. 2

A Biblical Vision for God Glorifying Singleness:

How singleness serves the Kingdom of God Pt. 2

This is part of the series God, Singleness, and Marriage: How the Bible Gives Purpose and Direction to Singles.  

For Part 1 of "How singleness serves the Kingdom of God," click here

Reasons to Remain Single (1 Cor. 7:25-38)

Now we come to the most central passage about the purpose of singleness in the New Testament. Here Paul deals with the specific issue of those who currently are engaged or who are considering seeking a spouse.[1] His advice is that they hold off on getting married. It is not a binding command as he makes clear when he says “But if you do marry, you have not sinned” (v. 28a, cf. v. 36). But he does give three reasons for advocating singleness.

Less Worldly Troubles (vv. 26-28)

Paul’s first reason comes in the context of the present crisis that the Corinthians were facing.

I think that in view of the present distress it is good for a person to remain as he is. ²⁷ Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. ²⁸ But if you do marry, you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that (1 Cor. 7:26-28 emphasis added).

Although we don’t know what this distress was, it was severe enough to make them wonder if they should go through with marriage. If it was persecution, marriage provides a spouse you will fear losing to prison, torture or death. If it was food shortages, marriage, and the children it was likely to produce, would add to the difficulty. In any case, “those who marry will have worldly troubles” (v. 28b). So, Paul’s first point is practical.

How does this apply to us in our modern, Western culture?  The basic principle means that “We need wisdom to discern the times and understand our circumstances so as to know the best way to glorify God and avoid putting ourselves or others under unnecessary duress.” [2]   I do not think we are currently experiencing distress of the same intensity as the Corinthians. There are economic and political woes, but none of these seem to be a good reason for us to put off marriage at the present time.

We must be careful not to allow the selfish desire of an easy life to be substituted for Paul’s point here. A desire to achieve one’s own goals or to knock a few items off of a “bucket list” before marriage is self-focus, not biblical wisdom. A preference for living alone in order to avoid conflict or to avoid serving another person is not what Paul has in mind by “less worldly troubles.” The Christian life is all about dying to self in order to love God and others.

More Heavenly Minded (vv. 29-31)

The second reason for the encouragement to remain single is the fact that the time of this present Earth is relatively short.

This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, ³⁰ and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, ³¹ and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away (1 Cor. 7:29-31 emphasis added).

Every believer since the time of Christ, has been living in the “last days.” This is what Paul means when he says, “For the present form of this world is passing away” (v. 31). Since the end is coming, their perspective should be different than those who are oblivious to this fact. Paul tells them to live as though this world is not all there is -- because it is not. Their marital status, earthly sadness and joys, and material possessions are not the determining factors in how they live. Eternity is.[3]

So, what does this mean for us? We should not assume our joys, struggles, and marital status in this world are ultimate. Instead, we are to live like those who really believe Christ’s kingdom is coming and that it is imminent. We must live with our hope and joy set on heaven and not the temporary things of this Earth. We are to live in this world, but we must have “a sober assessment of life’s up and downs in the light of something of greater significance.”[4] So, when it comes to our marital status, remaining unmarried is a good way to live in light of the coming Kingdom. Marriage isn’t bad or wrong, but it should not be your ultimate goal in life.

Undivided Devotion to the Lord (vv. 32-35)

The third reason it is good to remain single is the freedom singleness brings for undivided devotion to the Lord. Unlike the previous two points, I believe this reason actually gives the goal and vision for singleness as a Christian.  If you have the gift of singleness, this must be the reason and goal of your singleness. And, if you are single but desire marriage, this should be your perspective while you remain single lest you waste the trial God has given you. So what does Paul say?

I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. ³³ But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, ³⁴ and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. ³⁵ I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord (1 Cor. 7:32b-35 emphasis added).

Paul’s goal for singleness is “to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord” (v. 35b). Marriage necessitates time and energy being directed into one particular relationship. Singleness, on the other hand, provides immense freedom when it comes to time, energy, and opportunities.[5] As Dr. John MacArthur writes,

Marriage does not prevent great devotion to the Lord, and singleness does not guarantee it. But singleness has fewer hindrances and more advantages. It is easier for a single person to be singleminded in the things of the Lord. The married Christian has no choice. His interests must be divided. He cannot be faithful to the Lord if he is unfaithful to his family.[6]

So what does this mean for you? It means that you have a stewardship of extra time, energy, and resources to invest in broad service to the Kingdom of God. You have broader ministry potential. If you are single, you have more freedom with regard to time. There is not a spouse waiting on you or in need of your service. So use your time to serve the saints in your church. You have more freedom when it comes to how you will invest your energy. You may have more discretionary money because there are not additional mouths to feed and houses with more bedrooms to be purchased. So use your extra income to send missionaries and to give to your church. Perhaps you should even consider becoming a missionary.[7]

How Do You See Your Singleness?

The purpose of your singleness is to have undivided devotion towards God. Is that your perspective? The goal of singleness is not to allow more time to enjoy hunting or traveling or whatever hobby you enjoy. Singleness is not designed to make life all about you, rather it is intended to free you up to make life all about Christ. That is the biblical vision for singleness.

This is true whether you are in an undesired season of singleness or if you are exercising the spiritual gift of singleness. Either way you have a choice to make. Will you see your singleness as the God-glorifying opportunity it is meant to be or will you waste it? Will you turn your singleness into bondage by seeking your own personal ambitions or will you enjoy the freedom of undivided devotion to the Lord?  If you desire marriage, will you spend inordinate amounts of the time and energy looking for a spouse or will you live as you were called while you trust God with your unmet desires? Your vision of singleness will determine if you waste it or if you are blessed in it. How do you see your singleness?

Copyright Ben Khazraee. You may share this article with others, but please direct them to this blog rather than posting the text to your own website, blog, etc. You may share printed copies with friends as long as you do not charge more than the cost of producing the copies. 

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[1] The word translate “betrothed” in the ESV text is actually the Greek word for “virgins.” Given the context (especially verse 36) the ESV translates it as “betrothed.” Ciampa and Rosner think that Paul has in mind those who are betrothed and those wondering if they should seek a young woman to marry (Ibid., pg. 333).

[2] Ciampa and Rosner, pg. 338.

[3] He does not say that they are “not married” or that they do not have joy and sorrow or that they do not participate in business transactions. He assumes all those things are true. The point, therefore, is not to live disconnected from reality but to live in light of ultimate reality such that it transforms your perspective on what matters most.

[4] Ciampa and Rosner, pg. 347.

[5] I realize that this is not the case for those who are single parents. Your situation is a bit unique because you do have relationships which require marriage-like time and energy.

[6] MacArthur, John, 1 Corinthians, pg. 184.

[7] Though not every person who is single is called to be a missionary.

Some "Rules for Biblical Dating"

Here are three good "rules" from Jason Dees over the CBMW blog.

1. Don't Follow Your Heart
2. You Can't go Halfway in Dating (date with a purpose of finding a spouse)
3. Always Return Your Date More Holy Than When You Picked Her up

The whole article is worth a read (it is short).