A Michigan mechanic who has made headlines for saying he would turn away gay customers agrees with critics who say he’s pickier than Jesus –and he thinks he has a solid reason. He returned to Facebook, where the snafu began, to explain.
If you’re not familiar with the mechanic’s story, here’s the short version. Brian Klawiter, owner of Dieseltec, posted on that he would not welcome certain behaviors (such as stealing) at his business, adding that he’d also refuse service to openly gay customers, and closing with what could be read as either a threat of harm or an attempt to prove that same-sex relationships somehow can’t work because bolts don’t hold things together without nuts.
“I am a Christian. My company will be run in a way that reflects that. Dishonesty, thievery, immoral behavior, etc. will not be welcomed at MY place of business. (I would not hesitate to refuse service to an openly gay person or persons. Homosexuality is wrong, period. 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.)”
Naturally, many commenters asked if the mechanic thought Jesus would turn away gay people, and how the mechanic justified turning people away when Jesus accepted everyone. According to MLive , he also received threats , and police prevented an egging of his building. (There is also a bizarre side story, because Klawiter apparently refuses to fill out paperwork to renew his business license, saying it’s a violation of his constitutional rights.)
Now, however, Klawiter is fed up with the comments, and wants people to know he agrees: he is indeed pickier than Jesus, and, he believes, he has a good reason. In a long Facebook post, he explained.
In it, he explains that the most common thing he’s heard has been that Jesus wouldn’t turn away anyone, and that a follower of Jesus should emulate that example. Klawiter explains, though, that he can’t do so — because he has children.
“An unbelievable amount of things have been said about me but the most prevalent has been the idea that Jesus wouldn’t have turned away homosexuals (or similar type statements). He wouldn’t. However, Jesus did not have young children to protect.”
If Klawiter can be picky about who he does business with, so can Cummins, an engine manufacturer that says it is calling for Klawiter to remove the Cummins logo from his shop.
Brian Klawiter may seek to justify being pickier than Jesus in his business, but between the customers he’s driven away, the attention he has drawn to his lack of a business license, and the gulf he’s crated between his shop and at least one major parts manufacturer, he may not have a business to defend for long.
