Georgia Florist Refuses to Serve Gay Customers, but Is Fine with Adultereres and People Who Hate their Parents

Georgia is working on its own Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which people are seeing as a way to discriminate against LGBT people (and presumably others) under the name of religious liberty. Which seems silly because Georgia (much like Indiana and Arkansas, both of which have been criticized for their own RFRAs) doesn't have any anti-discrimination laws that address sexual orientation or gender identity, except for a few local communities within those states. Regardless...

CNN decided that it would be fun to travel to small-town Georgia to interview five different florists and see if they would be willing to provide floral arrangements to a hypothetical same-sex commitment ceremony. All of them said "NO!":

Gary Tuchman of CNN: If you had gay customers come in here to buy flowers and they said, "We want you to come to our commitment ceremony and bring the flowers -- marriage is not allowed in the state yet -- would you do it?

"Flower Shop Employee" Jennifer Williams: No. I couldn't...

"Flower Shop Employee" Melissa Jeffcoat: I would respectfully tell them that I'm sorry, that I just don't want to do it because of my beliefs.

Gary Tuchman of CNN: But right now, while Georgia is considering a law to make that legal for you to do that, it is not. You can get in trouble for doing that. (JON'S NOTE: LIE!!! IT IS NOT ILLEGAL FOR GEORGIANS TO DISCRIMINATE ON THE BASIS OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION.)

"Flower Shop Employee" Melissa Jeffcoat: I understand that.

Gary Tuchman of CNN:So you would be willing to take that risk?

"Flower Shop Employee" Melissa Jeffcoat: He died on the cross for me so that's the least I could do for him.

That's right. Jesus had nailed pounded into his hands and feet and was hung on a cross for many agonizing hours before dying a painful, horrifying death and then he traveled through Hell and rose from the dead so that Melissa Jeffcoat of Georgia could avoid selling flowers to a local lesbian couple on their wedding day.

But there's more:

Gary Tuchman of CNN: You know the Ten Commandments, it says you cannot commit adultery. It says you need to honor your father and your mother. If someone didn't honor their parents or committed adultery, would you serve them?

"Flower Shop Employee" Melissa Jeffcoat: Yes.

Gary Tuchman of CNN: Well, why would you serve them but not serve someone who's gay? 

"Flower Shop Employee" Melissa Jeffcoat: It's just a different kind of sin to me and I just don't believe in it.

I guess Jesus didn't die on the cross 2000 years ago so that Melissa Jeffcoat of Georgia could avoid selling flowers to a local adulterer on her wedding day. His sacrifice only goes so far.