Business Owner Gets Death Threats After Saying Gays Are Immoral

Though Michigan doesn’t have formal religious freedom laws, a business owner says he should have the freedom to run his business as he pleases and turn away customers he doesn’t want to serve, including gays. (Screenshot via WOOD-TV)

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The owner of a West Michigan diesel repair shop isn’t trying very hard to hide what he thinks about gays – not much that’s flattering – and guns – pack heat if you want, unless you’re a police officer, in which case it’s not really your gun.

The in-your-face business philosophy was posted by Brian Klawiter on the business Facebook page for Diesel Tec, which Klwiter owns, WOOD-TV reports.

The post was made as several U.S. states, including Michigan, are considering controversial religious freedom legislation giving businesses the right to refuse service to individuals, including gays, if doing business with them would conflict with deeply held religious beliefs.

Though it’s unlikely legislation will make it to his desk, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has said he would veto a proposed Religious Freedom Restoration Act if it wasn’t tied to expansion of the state’s civil rights code.

But religious freedom legislation or not, Klawiter wrote in the caustic Facebook post that conservative Americans’ rights are being “squashed” daily, and as a business owner, he has the right “operate MY business as I see fit.”

Klawiter wrote that as a Christian, he “would not hesitate to refuse service to an openly gay person or persons.”

“Homosexuality is wrong, period,” he said. “If you want to argue this fact with me then I will put your vehicle together with all bolts and no nuts and you can see how that works.”

Also on Patch:

• Question to Michigan Lawmakers Backing Religious Freedom: Did You See What Happened in Indiana?
• Religious Freedom Bills Back Before Michigan Legislature
• Snyder Vows to Veto Religious Freedom Legislation
• Critics: Religious Freedom Restoration Act Legalizes LGBT Discrimination
• U.S. Supreme Court Will Decide Gay Marriage for All 50 States

In a later comment, posted in response to a string of vitriolic comments Klawiter said included threats to kill his family and burn his business, the business owner said he wouldn’t literally mess up a customer’s engine repair, and his reference to about “all bolts and no nuts” wasn’t sexual innuendo.

About that qualification about who can carry a gun?

Here’s how Klawiter explained it:

Bring ‘em on. Guns are allowed, he wrote, “so much so, in fact, that we will offer a discount if you bring in your gun.”

” ’On duty’ cops are excluded because thats not their gun,” he wrote. “Thats my gun bought with my money, off duty absolutely!”

Not all of the more than 5,845 replies to the post were negative. Some supported Klawiter.

“I appreciate your courage to stand up for christian values,”Cathy Prather posted. “I am often ignored or made fun of or told I should not have said that. Thank you so much for your stand.”

Read the full post below.