Music pastor resigns over Hamburger Mary's

[Demosthenes]

If there is a more unreasonably damaged group of people than Southern Baptists, I don't know who that might be.

It is cult like behavior in many ways and to my view a frightening thing. IMO

Tolerance. 

Oh, I'm not working to legislate it so that Southern Baptists aren't allowed to exist, but I certainly reserve the right to point out when they are being assholes.

[ChriswUfGator]

I think we are all missing the point here... Shannon Wallace was part of this church, and this church had certain rules and regulations. If he wanted to attend this event at this establishment then perhaps he should have resigned, especially considering that I'm sure it was a violation of the contract he signed to work at the chuch. It is not a gay or straight issue. If he had attended a straight strip club event then in my opinion it would have been just as wrong. The bottom line is that somebody who is in a leadership position, at a CHURCH, doesn't have any business being at a place like that. Everybody commenting on this particular issue expects those of us who have different opinions to either keep them to ourselves, or accept your beliefs. And I don't. I have my opinion, and I don't judge others for there's. I may not agree with the homosexual lifestyle, but I have friends who are gay and I don't love them any less because of what they do or believe. To me that is how Christians should be, you don't have to accept everything about everybody, as long as you love them. I work in the medical field and I am required to sign certain legal documents, and rules and regulations prior to starting a job. If I didn't agree with what I was signing, then I wouldn't work at that facility, plain and simple. That being said, I do believe he should have lost his job. Churches have a right to expect more out of people who are in a leadership position. I've lost all respect for this man, and his wife who was also in attendance.

The childish level of general vitriol you folks display is unreal.

I don't know why after so many years I'm still taken aback by it, but I am.

[Steph7]

I don't believe I'm judging at all, as I said, I'm a tolerant person. I have many gay friends, and I love them as much as I love my straight friends. My point is that if there were certain things in the contract he signed for the church he worked at and this was a violation of part of his contract then he should be fired. No I don't voice my opinion on anything controversial, I keep my opinions and my work very separate from each other as to not offend anybody. Like I stated before, I am entitled to my own opinion, as are all of you. I think the point you are all focusing on is wrong. He violated a contract, he was terminated because of it. It's not that hard to understand people if I was to violate a HIPPA violation I too would lose my job. That's honestly all there is to it. This church was an organization that had rules, the rules were broken, and he and his family are now dealing with the consequences. He knew what that contract was, along with the rules, prior to taking his position at the church, if he didn't agree with it then he shouldn't have signed it plain and simple. I wish you all the best. We will agree to disagree .

[Demosthenes]

Hamburgers are against his contract? That's a crappy contract. Or maybe we are still working on the idea that its a strip joint?

[Cheshire Cat]

I think we are all missing the point here... Shannon Wallace was part of this church, and this church had certain rules and regulations. If he wanted to attend this event at this establishment then perhaps he should have resigned, especially considering that I'm sure it was a violation of the contract he signed to work at the chuch. It is not a gay or straight issue. If he had attended a straight strip club event then in my opinion it would have been just as wrong. The bottom line is that somebody who is in a leadership position, at a CHURCH, doesn't have any business being at a place like that. Everybody commenting on this particular issue expects those of us who have different opinions to either keep them to ourselves, or accept your beliefs. And I don't. I have my opinion, and I don't judge others for there's. I may not agree with the homosexual lifestyle, but I have friends who are gay and I don't love them any less because of what they do or believe. To me that is how Christians should be, you don't have to accept everything about everybody, as long as you love them. I work in the medical field and I am required to sign certain legal documents, and rules and regulations prior to starting a job. If I didn't agree with what I was signing, then I wouldn't work at that facility, plain and simple. That being said, I do believe he should have lost his job. Churches have a right to expect more out of people who are in a leadership position. I've lost all respect for this man, and his wife who was also in attendance.

You are certainly entitled to your opinion.  I wonder if you know for a fact that that Mr. Wallace had a contract? Just curious.  For you the issue begins and ends with the contract, others of us however are left to wonder why any person would agree to something that goes so far into their personal liberties and are saddened by the idea that some who claim a spirituality behind their judgements embrace the belief that anything to do with the GLBT community or for that matter cross dressing for entertainment is deserving of this type of opinion, judgement or disdain. Make no mistake it is a persons right to agree or not to such contracts,  but some like myself really cannot imagine letting an organization decide for us where we can eat. On another note, I don't know where you came away with the idea that anyone would object to you sharing your opinion, especially as an opening comment on the thread.   

[Demosthenes]

Cheshire, the modern bigot spends a lot of time intellectualizing their bigotry. The new "I have black friends" is "I have gay friends". It wasn't true then, its not true now.

[jaxequality]

I don't believe I'm judging at all, as I said, I'm a tolerant person. I have many gay friends, and I love them as much as I love my straight friends. My point is that if there were certain things in the contract he signed for the church he worked at and this was a violation of part of his contract then he should be fired. No I don't voice my opinion on anything controversial, I keep my opinions and my work very separate from each other as to not offend anybody. Like I stated before, I am entitled to my own opinion, as are all of you. I think the point you are all focusing on is wrong. He violated a contract, he was terminated because of it. It's not that hard to understand people if I was to violate a HIPPA violation I too would lose my job. That's honestly all there is to it. This church was an organization that had rules, the rules were broken, and he and his family are now dealing with the consequences. He knew what that contract was, along with the rules, prior to taking his position at the church, if he didn't agree with it then he shouldn't have signed it plain and simple. I wish you all the best. We will agree to disagree .

Having gay friends doesn't make you tolerant. Many gays are intolerant. A better example of tolerance would be not firing someone because of where they choose to eat lunch. I highly doubt that this person signed a contract about not going to lunch theater. I'm not a lawyer, but I'd say he should sue the pants off of that church. A HIPPA violation is one thing, eating a burger for lunch is entirely different.

You say you don't voice your controversial opinions, but here you are doing just that. You are entitled to your own opinion but this isn't an agree or disagree situation. A man has been fired for eating a hamburger at a performance style restaurant. FIRED! If you were fired for eating at Chic-fil-a and your boss forced you to resign because of it you'd be a very rich lady. The CHURCH should be playing by the same rules as any other employer.

This is just straight up discrimination and you are just trying to justify it.

[ronchamblin]

Silly event.  Silly religion.  Silly people.  Silly times.   

[Demosthenes]

Why is embracing your fellow human as.... Well, a human, controversial?

[Cheshire Cat]

Which event is silly Ron?  I don't remember an event being mentioned in the discussion.  Are are you calling the interaction of the two church members an event?

[ronchamblin]

Yes ma'am. 

[Cheshire Cat]

Got it!

[AKIRA]

would the outrage be the same if it were involving an orthodox synagogue or mosque?

[Cheshire Cat]

For me it would, but I cannot speak for others. 

[Demosthenes]

Using religion as a crutch for bigotry is, unfortunatly, nondenominational.