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Jeweler Attacked for Opposing Gay Marriage
After Providing Service for Gay Wedding
By Onan Coca / 23 May 2015 / 121 Comments
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I guess this whole thing is about more than forcing Christians to take part in gay wedding ceremonies. Now, the gay lobby is simply going to force anyone who disagrees with gay marriage to change their mind or face the consequences. Canadian jeweler Esau Jardon is a Christian who personally opposes same-sex marriage but never turns a customer away. So when a lesbian couple, Nicole White and Pam Renouf, came into his store to buy a pair of engagement rings, he happily obliged. Not only that the couple was very happy with the work he did!
They were great to work with. They seemed to have no issues. They knew the two of us were a same-sex couple, White said.
I referred some of my friends to them, just because I did get some good customer service and they had good prices.
But then Jardon mad his big mistake. He admitted that he believed in traditional marriage and thought that it should be defended. It was after the lesbian couple had recommended him to another lesbian couple that they learned Jardon was one of the bad guys. The second couple visited his store and noticed a sign that read, The sanctity of marriage is under attack. Lets keep marriage between a man and a woman.
The couple felt so aggrieved that they stormed out and went directly to their friends to tell them about the horrible jeweler. It was then that the original couple, White and Renouf, returned to demand a full refund from the jeweler, even though they were happy with his work. Apparently, the rings were contaminated by the beliefs of the Christian jeweler and thus the rings were now sullied
or something.
Listen as White recounts their ordeal:
"It was really upsetting. Really sad, because we already had money down on [the rings], and they're displaying how much they are against gays, and how they think marriage should be between a man and a woman."
The couple went to the store the following day, and asked about the sign.
"They just said that that's their beliefs, and they think they can put up wh**ever they want. I just said it was very disrespectful, it's very unprofessional and I wanted a refund," White said.
image: http://cdn1.eaglerising.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/lesbian-couple-300x161.jpg
lesbian couple"I have no issues with them believing in what they believe in. I think everyone's entitled to their own opinion. But I don't think they should put their personal beliefs inside their business."
White and Renouf hope to get a refund when the man who sold them the rings returns to town next month but it's not guaranteed.
White said the rings were meant to be a symbol of love, but now the bands seem tainted.
"I think every time I look at that ring, I'll probably think of what we just went through," White said.
Thats right, Jardons beliefs are disrespectful and unprofessional.
For his part, Jardon says that posting signs about his religious beliefs is a practice hes been participating in for the last 11 years and he doesnt plan to stop anytime soon.
Jardon said he wont apologize for his beliefs.
I feel really bad that [White] feels that we would in any way try to hurt or discriminate against her, but we will not retract from what we believe. I cannot say, Well because you feel bad, I will stop believing what I believe, he said.
When I walk on Church Street in Toronto, where I am right now, and I see [L**T rainbow f**gs], and I see a lot of signs and a lot of things on public property, I dont have a problem with them. I accept it. I chose to come to Canada
and we accept the whole package
I dont discriminate against that, nor do I come and tell them to take them down. For the same reason, I ask to have the same respect in return, especially when its in my own business.
Now Jardon says that he will return the money after being bombarded with threats and intimidation.
One of the reasons my family chose to move to Canada was the rights that it offered, the freedom of religion and freedom of speech, both of which at the time seemed to be very limited in Mexico, he said.
However, due to posting our religious beliefs, many people in Newfoundland want us to shut down business thats what theyve been telling us.
The gay and lesbian community in Canada is, of course, outraged that the jewelers would admit to being Christians and in favor of traditional marriage. It doesnt matter that the jewelers happily crafted the rings that the lesbian couple wanted
they also have to believe the right way too. This has been the point all along, folks. As weve said numerous times, its never about what the left says it is; its always about something deeper. The gay marriage issue wasnt about marriage -- it was about normalcy. Forcing Christians to participate in gay wedding ceremonies isnt about discrimination its about forcing Christian to submit and renounce their own moral code.
Which is why it doesnt matter if the Christian jeweler makes the rings, unless he also professes his belief in the morality and even goodness of homosexuality.
As Rod Dreher in the American Conservative puts it, You must not only bake the cake, or arrange the flowers, or make the ring, you must hold the correct opinion when you do it.
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Onan is a graduate of Liberty University (2003) and earned his M.Ed. at Western Governors University in 2012. Onan lives in Atlanta with his wife and their three wonderful children.
Website: http://www.eaglerising.com
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