In which Marvin, attempting to sell a giant flat screen TV and share the Gospel of Jesus at the same time, ends up having to decide just how far he will go for the truth.
John Smid and me-Graduation 1998 (above) & John Smid today (left) By now many have heard that Tennessee's Department of Mental Health & Developmental Disabilities determined that the "ex-gay" program, Love in Action, is operating two “unlicensed mental health supportive living facilities”. LIA has until Friday, September 23 to respond. If LIA statements in Eartha Jane Melzer's article are indicative to how the "change" program might respond, we may see LIA change right before our eyes from a clinical mental health compound into a house of praise and worship. Gerard Wellman, business administrator for Love in Action, and a former Love in Action client, said Sept. 13 that the organization has been in contact with the state but would not comment further. “As a church, we operate under a different set of rules,” Wellman said. Curious, and what rules might these be? What is even more curious is that according to LIA's site only one staff member ...
Comments
I really don't think this is a matter of prosecution, I think it's a matter of you touting your personal beliefs in a professional environment, which just isn't appropriate. Although I have to say what that customer said to you was inappropriate too. Was he flirting with you or something?
I used to be a salesperson at an electronics store too. :) I have a better job now, hope you'll find one too.
Now, I have to tell you Marvin that I'm pretty certain that this persecution complex, while very prevelant these days, isn't really warranted here. At my job, I would be fired if I spoke that way to a customer. Or, let's say I was a gay person and I laid it on one of my customers really hard and he was offended. I would probably be in some hot water.
It doesn't matter how right our beliefs are, if we don't communicate them in an appropriate manner, then we've lost our audience. Having said that, we can't continue to look at the past. Now is the time to collect your unemployment (yes, humble yourself a bit, go back to your former employer and get the paper work you need), maybe expand your evangelistic work. Heck, maybe Randy Thomas over at Exodus would be interested in hiring you as a spokesperson. Randy's a good guy you know.
All the best Marvin!
j.
I am sorry you lost your job though. Keep faith, Mr. Marvin, and don't let all that harsh judgment you are laying on yourself spill over onto anyone else.
Peace and blessings,
I think that it's ironic that you work at an electronics store that sells gigantic flat screen televisions.
Kudos for putting that man with all the jewelry and designer clothes in his place. I probably would have done the same thing if someone said that to me when I was at work, because 1) it's inappropriate and rude to say such things to a sales representative at a store of any kind, 2) it's sexual harrassment, and 3) people selling to customers don't really care what they use the material object for, they are just there to sell the product, not listen to the life story of the customers. I agree that this would be an incident worth getting fired over.