‘Take that fascist freaks’: GoFundMe for Memories Pizza surpasses $840,000

[polychronopolous]

WALKERTON, Ind. -- A business in Walkerton is getting national attention and backlash following its statements and stance on the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

Memories Pizza is on the record saying it wouldn't cater gay weddings, and that stance has gone viral online.

“I don’t have a problem with gay people, I do not condone gay marriage and that’s what I said,” co-owner Kevin O’Connor explained to The Daily Beast. “I don’t turn anybody away from the store, I don’t have a problem with gay people. I just don’t condone the marriage.”

Co-owner Crystal O'Connor talked with TheBlaze TV Wednesday evening.

"I don't know if we will re-open," she said when asked about the backlash the business has received. She also said her family is considering leaving town. "We're in hiding, basically."

"We're very hurt and confused," she added. "We stood up for what we believe. We said we would serve anyone who walked in the door -- even gays -- but we would not condone a wedding, we would not cater for it because that's against our religious beliefs."


Local reaction

Walkerton residents expressed feelings both in support and against the shop's decision.

"I support fully what they're doing," Brandon Dickson of Walkerton said. "I think it's everybody's opinion on what they want to do. If they don't want to serve those types of people you know? I'm sorry about their luck but that's their right. You can be gay all you want. I don't believe in it. It's my belief, you know. I don't want to see it. That's about all there is to that. It's my opinion and my belief. I believe it's a choice."

When asked about his choice of heterosexuality Dickson said, "I like girls, man. I've never liked the same sex in that way and what they do I don't find appropriate. Two sexes shouldn't be together."

"The law is one that is being misinterpreted," David Vermillion of Walkerton said. "It's not, from my perspective, the governor's idea that we should encourage discrimination but rather what the bill is truly intended for; freedom for people who do take their religion seriously."

The company's Yelp review page, which you can view here, has been flooded with critical comments.


Memories Pizza sees outpouring of support on GoFundMe

More than $14,000 was raised in under an hour on GoFundMe by supporters of Memories Pizza. The page was set up by TheBlaze.

After three hours, 661 people had donated and the total had reached over $26,000.

By late Thursday evening it was more than ten times that, with more than 9,500 people donating and surpassing $260,000 in one day.

On Friday morning, that total had reached more than $510,000 and continues to climb.

[Straw Man]

LOL @ fascists freaks

please explain the fascism part

[Straw Man]

man, what a gimmick by The Blaze via Glen Beck

he's found a new way to con money out of fundie  dipshits

I wonder how The Blaze TV even wound up being in tiny pizza shop in a town with 2200 people asking this woman about her thoughts on this new law

Has  anyone  here even see The Blaze TV?

[Vince G, CSN MFT]

No one ever attacked them.  They were the ones that ran off at the mouth about not serving pizza at a gay wedding when no gay person would ever order pizza for their wedding reception.  Only rednecks do that shit.

They certainly did get lucky though. 

[blacken700]

CNN’s Gary Tuchman visited several florists in rural Georgia and asked if they would provide certain services to gay people. Of course they all said no… because Jesus.

The most telling part of the exchange was this one with florist Melissa Jeffcoat in which she was confronted about the specifics of her bigotry:

Tuchman: … In the Ten Commandments, it says you can’t commit adultery…

Jeffcoat: Right.

Tuchman: It says you need to honor your father and mother.

Jeffcoat: Mhmm.

Tuchman: If someone didn’t honor their parents or committed adultery, would you serve them?

Jeffcoat: Yes.

Tuchman: Well, why would you serve them but not serve someone who is gay?

Jeffcoat: It’s just a different kind of sin to me and I just don’t believe in it....

All sins are equal, but some are more equal than others. Got it. #ChristianLogic

[Straw Man]

CNN’s Gary Tuchman visited several florists in rural Georgia and asked if they would provide certain services to gay people. Of course they all said no… because Jesus.

The most telling part of the exchange was this one with florist Melissa Jeffcoat in which she was confronted about the specifics of her bigotry:

Tuchman: … In the Ten Commandments, it says you can’t commit adultery…

Jeffcoat: Right.

Tuchman: It says you need to honor your father and mother.

Jeffcoat: Mhmm.

Tuchman: If someone didn’t honor their parents or committed adultery, would you serve them?

Jeffcoat: Yes.

Tuchman: Well, why would you serve them but not serve someone who is gay?

Jeffcoat: It’s just a different kind of sin to me and I just don’t believe in it....

All sins are equal, but some are more equal than others. Got it. #ChristianLogic

maybe some of our resident fundies can explain this logic

there is certainly a lot more adulterers than gay people and adultery is obviously a choice

then again, is this really surprising

don't almost all christians pick and choose what part of the "word of god" to follow and what parts to ignore

[polychronopolous]

HIDDEN CAMERA: Will Muslim Bakeries Make a Gay Wedding Cake?

Yes folks, I did this. I went there. You have this now.  Actually, I taped this video a long time ago but due to audio corruption issues, was never able to upload it.  Now that my in-house whizz kid, Jared was able to salvage the footage, I am now passing it onto you. What do you think happens when a gay, like SUPER gay Crowder tries to get a super gay wedding cake baked at a Muslim bakery? I'm pretty sure you can guess, but you might as well watch this week's adventure to Dearborn, MI to find out!

[chadstallion]

the next bakery coming along should try this; it's a great way to take money from the masses.
cry boo hoo on fox news all day and watch as the $$ rolls in. gotta love this country!

[Vince G, CSN MFT]

HIDDEN CAMERA: Will Muslim Bakeries Make a Gay Wedding Cake?

Yes folks, I did this. I went there. You have this now.  Actually, I taped this video a long time ago but due to audio corruption issues, was never able to upload it.  Now that my in-house whizz kid, Jared was able to salvage the footage, I am now passing it onto you. What do you think happens when a gay, like SUPER gay Crowder tries to get a super gay wedding cake baked at a Muslim bakery? I'm pretty sure you can guess, but you might as well watch this week's adventure to Dearborn, MI to find out!

What gay person would even go into a Muslim Bakery???

[polychronopolous]

Video on Muslim bakers points to double standard on gay weddings

Why Aren't the Media Going After Muslim Bakeries?



The liberal media’s witchhunt on Christian bakeries and florists after the passage of Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act ignored facts that should have been obvious: Christianity wasn’t the only religion that considers homosexuality sinful. Fox News contributor and comedian Steven Crowder traveled to Dearborn, Mich. to do something the liberal news media would never dare. He asked Muslim bakery owners if they would bake a wedding cake for a gay couple.

Crowder noted that the media were “deliberately trying to set the narrative of mean, hateful Christians vs. poor, innocent gay people who are having their rights completely trampled.” Meanwhile, he said, gay people were being killed in “virtually every Muslim country” around the world. But the media were too busy reporting on the possibility of anti-gay discrimination by Christians to notice they were promoting discrimination and hate against Christians with biased reporting. In the two days following an interview with reporter Alyssa Marino at a local ABC station, the family-owned restaurant Memories Pizza had to close shop because of all the violent threats against the owner.

CNN reporter Gary Tuchman sought out Christian florists who wouldn’t provide flowers for a gay ceremony. Tuchman even approached a Christian florist and started hounding her about her beliefs on April 1’s Anderson Cooper 360. "The Bible talks an awful lot about love and loving your fellow man....You're not loving them if you don't want to serve them – right?" Tuchman asked. And later he pressed, "If someone didn't honor their parents or committed adultery, would you serve them?" It was hard to know which was worse, Tuchman’s condescension or the screen’s chyron which read, “Claiming Freedom, Shunning Gay People.”

The kind of intolerance and bigotry shown by the left was reminiscent of the attacks on California business owners and donors because of Prop 8 support a few years ago. Businesses were vandalized and had to close because of threats they received. Several Christian businesses have faced lawsuits, thousands of dollars in fines, or had to close their businesses down, due to their conscientious objections to provide their services for gay weddings.

Indiana’s law was enacted to protect such business owners. Like the Southern Poverty Law Center’s hate map, which inspired real left-wing violence against a conservative organization, the left’s attempt to portray Christians as bigots has allowed for more anti-Christian violence.

[blacken700]

[polychronopolous]

FL Baker: We’re Getting Death Threats over Refusal to Make Anti-Gay Cake

Former pastor Joshua Feuerstein wanted to test something out amid the controversy this week over religious freedom and business rights. He figured if business owners should be compelled not to discriminate against homosexuals, then businesses should also be compelled not to discriminate against anti-gay Christians.

And so, on video, he recorded a phone conversation he had with Florida bakery Cut the Cake. He asked if they would make him a sheet cake saying “We do not support gay marriage.” The woman on the other end said they wouldn’t do that and hung up. After that, Feuerstein proceeded to identify the bakery in question and made his point about the religious freedom issue.

At one point, he said, “Gay marriage isn’t even illegal. It’s called marriage. If you’re a gay man and you want to be married, guess what? Just go find a woman and get married.”

Feuerstein encouraged viewers to call the bakery and and help “expose the hypocrisy” they’re supposedly engaging in. Well, in a parallel of what happened to Memories Pizza in Indiana, Cut the Cake ended up receiving quite a lot of angry messages, including death threats.

Sharon Haller, who Feuerstein spoke to on the phone, said, “We started getting some hundreds of phone calls and making very nasty and negative gestures towards our business, towards us.”

[240 is Back]

FL Baker: We’re Getting Death Threats over Refusal to Make Anti-Gay Cake

LOL  they released a link to their gofundme page at the same time, huh?   
copycat?  they're at 7 grand already.

[Coach is Back!]

FL Baker: We’re Getting Death Threats over Refusal to Make Anti-Gay Cake

Former pastor Joshua Feuerstein wanted to test something out amid the controversy this week over religious freedom and business rights. He figured if business owners should be compelled not to discriminate against homosexuals, then businesses should also be compelled not to discriminate against anti-gay Christians.

And so, on video, he recorded a phone conversation he had with Florida bakery Cut the Cake. He asked if they would make him a sheet cake saying “We do not support gay marriage.” The woman on the other end said they wouldn’t do that and hung up. After that, Feuerstein proceeded to identify the bakery in question and made his point about the religious freedom issue.

At one point, he said, “Gay marriage isn’t even illegal. It’s called marriage. If you’re a gay man and you want to be married, guess what? Just go find a woman and get married.”

Feuerstein encouraged viewers to call the bakery and and help “expose the hypocrisy” they’re supposedly engaging in. Well, in a parallel of what happened to Memories Pizza in Indiana, Cut the Cake ended up receiving quite a lot of angry messages, including death threats.

Sharon Haller, who Feuerstein spoke to on the phone, said, “We started getting some hundreds of phone calls and making very nasty and negative gestures towards our business, towards us.”

Gays the new Isis? (Yes, I saw this and it makes sense).

[240 is Back]

we are going to see dozens of companies, every day, releasing their "threats" with a gofundme link.

it's inevitable.  Requires no proof of "threats" and people are begging to be a part of it - by donating, they are relevant and a huge part of it.

it's silly, really... at least The Blaze did the gofundme for the first company, the pizza place.  This 2nd company, they just release, "hey, we're getting threats TOO!  Here's the gofundme...."

Not accusing them of making it up, but i'm betting plenty will be doing this. 

[avxo]

Gays the new Isis? (Yes, I saw this and it makes sense).

Yes... gays are the new ISIS They kill you by making you watch reruns of Sex and the City if you don't have a lisp.

[polychronopolous]

we are going to see dozens of companies, every day, releasing their "threats" with a gofundme link.

it's inevitable.  Requires no proof of "threats" and people are begging to be a part of it - by donating, they are relevant and a huge part of it.

it's silly, really... at least The Blaze did the gofundme for the first company, the pizza place.  This 2nd company, they just release, "hey, we're getting threats TOO!  Here's the gofundme...."

Not accusing them of making it up, but i'm betting plenty will be doing this. 

It's a crazy time we live in my friend!

[polychronopolous]

Gay-Inclusive Church Choir Sings Hymns Before Memories Pizza



A South Bend, IN church choir called The Ripple Effect sang Friday in front of Memories Pizza, the pizzeria that become the focal point of the debate over Indiana’s “religious freedom” law, in an effort to bridge the divide between Christian businesses and the LGBT community.

“There are a lot of hurt people,” choir director Sherry Klinedinst told WSBT-TV. “There are a lot of angry people. I’m really hoping we can just find some common ground.”

Memories Pizza owner Crystal O’Connor told a local news station last week that she would not cater a same-sex wedding due to her religious beliefs, describing the exact brand of discrimination critics feared the new law would embolden. The pizzeria withstood a torrent of online criticism after the clip went viral, then was forced to close due to threats. A GoFundMe campaign led by conservative radio host Dana Loesch has since raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the pizzeria’s owners, who plan to reopen their restaurant soon.

“We’re not here to condemn or condone the owners of the establishment,” Klinedinst said. “We’re here to show them and the community that we can show love to people in spite of our differences.”

The Ripple Effect might have been moved to enter the debate due to its inclusion of gay members. “We just have differing opinions,” said one of the choir’s gay members. “But, that’s okay. We’re supposed to have differing opinions. That’s what diversity is all about.”

According to WSBT, few stopped to listen to the choir, and one man told them to get a job.

[MCWAY]

CNN’s Gary Tuchman visited several florists in rural Georgia and asked if they would provide certain services to gay people. Of course they all said no… because Jesus.

The most telling part of the exchange was this one with florist Melissa Jeffcoat in which she was confronted about the specifics of her bigotry:

Tuchman: … In the Ten Commandments, it says you can’t commit adultery…

Jeffcoat: Right.

Tuchman: It says you need to honor your father and mother.

Jeffcoat: Mhmm.

Tuchman: If someone didn’t honor their parents or committed adultery, would you serve them?

Jeffcoat: Yes.

Tuchman: Well, why would you serve them but not serve someone who is gay?

Jeffcoat: It’s just a different kind of sin to me and I just don’t believe in it....

All sins are equal, but some are more equal than others. Got it. #ChristianLogic

What's even more telling is this CNN reporter can't use common sense to tell the difference between merely serving a person (no matter what commandment they supposedly break) and making products that blatantly condone breaking such commandments.

Speaking of which, The Ten Commandments are on right now (ABC). I believe they're at plague 3 or 4 at the moment. But, Killing Jesus and A.D. The Bible Continues are also on the air. I made a thread about this on the Religion Forum, which is why I came to Getbig initially today.

[MCWAY]

Video on Muslim bakers points to double standard on gay weddings

Why Aren't the Media Going After Muslim Bakeries?



The liberal media’s witchhunt on Christian bakeries and florists after the passage of Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act ignored facts that should have been obvious: Christianity wasn’t the only religion that considers homosexuality sinful. Fox News contributor and comedian Steven Crowder traveled to Dearborn, Mich. to do something the liberal news media would never dare. He asked Muslim bakery owners if they would bake a wedding cake for a gay couple.

Crowder noted that the media were “deliberately trying to set the narrative of mean, hateful Christians vs. poor, innocent gay people who are having their rights completely trampled.” Meanwhile, he said, gay people were being killed in “virtually every Muslim country” around the world. But the media were too busy reporting on the possibility of anti-gay discrimination by Christians to notice they were promoting discrimination and hate against Christians with biased reporting. In the two days following an interview with reporter Alyssa Marino at a local ABC station, the family-owned restaurant Memories Pizza had to close shop because of all the violent threats against the owner.

CNN reporter Gary Tuchman sought out Christian florists who wouldn’t provide flowers for a gay ceremony. Tuchman even approached a Christian florist and started hounding her about her beliefs on April 1’s Anderson Cooper 360. "The Bible talks an awful lot about love and loving your fellow man....You're not loving them if you don't want to serve them – right?" Tuchman asked. And later he pressed, "If someone didn't honor their parents or committed adultery, would you serve them?" It was hard to know which was worse, Tuchman’s condescension or the screen’s chyron which read, “Claiming Freedom, Shunning Gay People.”

The kind of intolerance and bigotry shown by the left was reminiscent of the attacks on California business owners and donors because of Prop 8 support a few years ago. Businesses were vandalized and had to close because of threats they received. Several Christian businesses have faced lawsuits, thousands of dollars in fines, or had to close their businesses down, due to their conscientious objections to provide their services for gay weddings.

Indiana’s law was enacted to protect such business owners. Like the Southern Poverty Law Center’s hate map, which inspired real left-wing violence against a conservative organization, the left’s attempt to portray Christians as bigots has allowed for more anti-Christian violence.

What gay person would even go into a Muslim Bakery???

CONGRATULATIONS!!! You get the point!!!

These cracked gay activists and their supporters are nothing but COWARDS!! Here is a small business, refusing to do a same-sex wedding for the same reason that their Christian counterparts are doing. Yet, you can bet those Muslims are as safe as a flea in a shag carpet.

Why!! The gay-stapo and their lefty brethren don't want none from the Team Allah crew, because they know the Muslims will get medieval on them and show them what gay bashing really is.

[MCWAY]

we are going to see dozens of companies, every day, releasing their "threats" with a gofundme link.

it's inevitable.  Requires no proof of "threats" and people are begging to be a part of it - by donating, they are relevant and a huge part of it.

it's silly, really... at least The Blaze did the gofundme for the first company, the pizza place.  This 2nd company, they just release, "hey, we're getting threats TOO!  Here's the gofundme...."

Not accusing them of making it up, but i'm betting plenty will be doing this. 

It was Dana Loesch, of the Blaze, that got it rolling. When the owners appeared on Hannity (TV show), they initially said they would close despite the money being raised. But, once this story got to Rush's show, the money started pouring into the electro-coffers. He asked the listeners to see if they could get to 750K before his show went off the air. And it appears they got it.

As a result, the owners said they will re-open their shop, at a date to be determined.

[240 is Back]

It was Dana Loesch, of the Blaze, that got it rolling. When the owners appeared on Hannity (TV show), they initially said they would close despite the money being raised. But, once this story got to Rush's show, the money started pouring into the electro-coffers. He asked the listeners to see if they could get to 750K before his show went off the air. And it appears they got it.

As a result, the owners said they will re-open their shop, at a date to be determined.

lol that's smart as fvck.   They have retirement money now.  Just like that.  And people who are swamped in debt with no health insurance are sending them money because they approve of their beliefs.  What a country! lol.

[avxo]

What's even more telling is this CNN reporter can't use common sense to tell the difference between merely serving a person (no matter what commandment they supposedly break) and making products that blatantly condone breaking such commandments.

That's a novel argument... stupid and ridiculous, but novel.

[Jack T. Cross]

All the pieces exist for people to start manufacturing these events (if they haven't already). Sad part is that media is dead-set to pounce on the stories and to portray them in a certain way - so you have to wonder if a scam would be properly addressed if it was discovered.

[MCWAY]

That's a novel argument... stupid and ridiculous, but novel.

You can't tell the difference between someone participating in an immoral act and commissioning a private business to participate in such, via its products. Methinks the "stupid and ridiculous" tag fits your arguments.

What's next, forcing black-owned businesses to cater Klan rallies with nooses around the necks of black figurines?

Or, Christian bakeries forced to make cakes with sex toys for adult film festivals?