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Rosalinda
Guest
I have carefully read all your posts and would like to suggest a few posters here read the following:
lifesite.net/ldn/2005/dec/051202a.html
lifesite.net/ldn/2005/dec/051202a.html
Costco Fires Catholic Who Denied Knights of Columbus Hall for Lesbian "Marriage"
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soulspeak23
Guest
Shouldn’t the KofC have asked what kind of ceremony this was going to be BEFORE agreeing to have the event there? I mean, the KofC can’t say that they didn’t know it was two women. Thier names are Tracy and Deborah. Rather than having actaully booked the event and then canceled it, they would have been better off by denying them in the beginning and the lesbians would have had no grounds to stand on.
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TarAshly
Guest
What it does is makes the Knights look like they are strong in their faith and strong in what is right and what is wrong. The Hall is the property of the Knights in most parishes, they have the right to say who can and can not rent their property. The Knights are a Catholic Organization. Of course they are not going to want two lesbians to be celebrating their "marriage 
" in there! My husband is a Knight, they are anything but silly. They fight for and defend the Church and her people.
Libero:
" in there! My husband is a Knight, they are anything but silly. They fight for and defend the Church and her people.
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Rosalinda
Guest
Our opposition seems to understand that this is a test case of great importance. Why some fellow Catholics don’t understand this is rather disconcerting. There is more at work here then personality conflicts and a disgruntled employee complaining he was unjustly fired. The supposed incident for which David Hauser, the K of C, was fired could not have taken place as he reported to the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal that he was on vacation with his wife at the time.
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soulspeak23
Guest
It all just seems a big case of he said/she said and we don’t really know exactly what happened. There are several conflicting points of view in this story and it all just boils down to who we want to believe. I don’t think we’ll ever know the truth of what went down here, just that the outcome was not good.
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Rosalinda
Guest
Soulspeak’s question:
bchrt.bc.ca/decisions/2005/pdf/Smith_and_Chymyshyn_v_Knights_of_Columbus_and_others_2005_BCHRT_544.pdf
Paragraph 24 of the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal
bchrt.bc.ca/decisions/2005/pdf/Smith_and_Chymyshyn_v_Knights_of_Columbus_and_others_2005_BCHRT_544.pdf
Paragraph 26:
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Rosalinda
Guest
SoulSpeak
It boils down to a question of credibility and common sense. If one looks at the evidence; the photos of the hall and its location, the fact that one of the complainants had foreknowledge that her co-worker was Catholic and a Knight of Columbus and who has a motive to prevaricate it all becomes pretty clear.
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soulspeak23
Guest
I agree with you on that. However, the issue at the heart of the matter really has very little to do with the lesbians. It has to do with whether Costco fired this man for what they say was a violent altercation and the man says was not agreeing with his beliefs. That was what I was saying we’d never know the truth about. I concede that it looks shady that Costco wont release the records, but there ARE company privacy issues to be addressed as well.
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Rosalinda
Guest
Yes, SoulSpeak truth is the heart of the matter; we both agree; nevertheless, I was responding to your question which expressed disbelief that Sandra Hauser, the wife of the man at the heart of this debate, did not know the couple were lesbians. This all happened within months of the first same sex marriages in Canada and Catholics were taken off guard never imagining their little rental hall and all its’ practices and regulations would come under the scrutiny of the Human Rights Commission. Of course, that poor woman had no inkling of an idea the two women who were interested in renting the hall were on a mission.
As to the question of credibility, who can believe Ms. Chymyshyn, the lesbian lover of Ms. Smith, just accidentally found the very hall which David Hauser’s wife, Sandra, managed while she was just driving around? [paragraph 18] It is just too much of a coincidence. It was well known in the workplace at Costco that David Hauser was Catholic and affiliated with the Knights of Columbus. Ms. Smith testified how uncomfortable she was with the fact.[paragraph 43]
As for the alleged violent altercation, it has already been stated Mr. Hauser was not even at work at the time. According to my understanding, Costco has two versions why their employee was fired. People who tell the truth have only one story to tell and that is the truth; prevaricators tend to be more creative. Furthermore, If he had such a violent temper why did it take Costco 14 years to realize that? A violent, angry disposition is something everyone recognizes pretty quickly.
In the end, the tribunal ruled the Knights were within their rights to “discriminate” but they were nonetheless penalized for poor manners. While the militant homosexual agenda is being furthered they care nothing that an innocent father supporting a wife and children has unjustly lost his job. That family is suffering a whole lot more than “injury to their human dignity”. [paragraph 48] They risk losing their home.
As to the question of credibility, who can believe Ms. Chymyshyn, the lesbian lover of Ms. Smith, just accidentally found the very hall which David Hauser’s wife, Sandra, managed while she was just driving around? [paragraph 18] It is just too much of a coincidence. It was well known in the workplace at Costco that David Hauser was Catholic and affiliated with the Knights of Columbus. Ms. Smith testified how uncomfortable she was with the fact.[paragraph 43]
As for the alleged violent altercation, it has already been stated Mr. Hauser was not even at work at the time. According to my understanding, Costco has two versions why their employee was fired. People who tell the truth have only one story to tell and that is the truth; prevaricators tend to be more creative. Furthermore, If he had such a violent temper why did it take Costco 14 years to realize that? A violent, angry disposition is something everyone recognizes pretty quickly.
In the end, the tribunal ruled the Knights were within their rights to “discriminate” but they were nonetheless penalized for poor manners. While the militant homosexual agenda is being furthered they care nothing that an innocent father supporting a wife and children has unjustly lost his job. That family is suffering a whole lot more than “injury to their human dignity”. [paragraph 48] They risk losing their home.
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tamccrackine
Guest
Well said Rosalinda… well said.
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Jeffrey
Guest
Got a reply back…
Thank you for emailing Costco Wholesale.
The article regarding our former employee in Canada repeats a totally false accusation against our company. Honoring the confidentiality of our employee relationships, we cannot disclose the basis of this employee’s termination. However, we can state categorically that we would never terminate any employee for reasons not directly related to his or her workplace performance, and would never be influenced in that decision by any activity outside the course of employment. We cannot be more specific without violating our own confidentiality rules, which protect our current and former employees.
Should you need any further assistance, you may contact me at the address below.
Sincerely,
Mario P
customerservice@costco.com
Thank you for emailing Costco Wholesale.
The article regarding our former employee in Canada repeats a totally false accusation against our company. Honoring the confidentiality of our employee relationships, we cannot disclose the basis of this employee’s termination. However, we can state categorically that we would never terminate any employee for reasons not directly related to his or her workplace performance, and would never be influenced in that decision by any activity outside the course of employment. We cannot be more specific without violating our own confidentiality rules, which protect our current and former employees.
Should you need any further assistance, you may contact me at the address below.
Sincerely,
Mario P
customerservice@costco.com
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WanderAimlessly
Guest
More on this story:
PF
Plus another reason to not shop at Costco:
I cannot find any reason in the world now to shop at Costco.
PF
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Ani_Ibi
Guest
This is a form letter. The same letter was sent to Arnie at Cathy Shaidle’s Toronto blog Relapsed Catholic.
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PLAL
Guest
Alan Keyes Teaches Sex Education Lesson to Homosexual Interviewer
keyes2004.com/news/040907mostert.php
Click on "HERE" to Listen to the entire interview!!!
Editor’s note: An MP3 audio of Alan’s comments is available here.**
keyes2004.com/news/040907mostert.php
Click on "HERE" to Listen to the entire interview!!!
Editor’s note: An MP3 audio of Alan’s comments is available here.**
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Traditional_Ang
Guest
Libero:
You’re absolutely correct. The fact that he’s a faithful Catholic Could have caused the secularists at Costco no end of unease, to which their only “Tolerant” solution could have been to fire him.
“If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you. Remember the word I spoke to you, ‘No slave is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. And they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me.” John 15:18-21 NAB
Or, maybe they just couldn’t stand the idea that one person in their organization didn’t approve of ehat they were doing. Sort of like what happened when King Henry VIII found out his friend Sir Thomas More didn’t approve of his divorce and remarriage without the formality of a Papal annulment of His first marriage.
In Christ, Michael
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Traditional_Ang
Guest
Jeffrey:
Let’s see if they send me the same space junk…
*To Whom it may Concern:
After reading about the firing of David Hauser, after 14 years of employment with Costco of Canada, apparently because he refused to rent a Knights of Columbus hall to another Costco employee (Tracey Smith) for her “Lesbian Wedding”, I’ve decided that such an infringement on the Freedom of Religion can only be answered by a complete and total Boycott of all Costco Stores by myself and anyone else I may be able to convince. At the same time, I will also now campaign against the addition of any Costco stores or other Costco facilities in the LA area, and attempt to get others to join that campaign.
I understand that his supervisor, Mike Checko. considers himself to be a “Gay Activist” and believes that actions such as this are justified in defense of “Gay Rights”, and that he did this only after harassing Mr. Hauser for a year after the Knights of Columbus cancelled the rental of their hall to what they thought was a HETEROSEXUAL couple. I also understand that Mr. Checko had some managers who agreed with him that Freedom of Religion should mean Freedom from Religion who also hassled Mr. Hauser during that year in an attempt to “create and Incident”.
Costco’s failure to stop the harassing and unjust firing of a man simply because he exercised his religion was WRONG! I can only pray that Costco and it’s management come to that conclusion and restore Mr. David Hauser to his former position with payment for time off due to your unjust actions, but as I understand such decency is not part of your corporate structure or culture. I understand that you will understand only one thing, which is the loss of business. I hope and pray that you lose a lot, and that any suits brought against you by David Hauser for unlawful discharge or for a Hostile Work Environment by reason of religious discrimination and violation of his Civil Rights are successful beyond his wildest imaginations.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Name and address on original*
As has been stated, they sent two wildly divergent stories to the Unemployment people and the Lesbian Couple’s story smells fishy at best.
His story hasn’t changed.
There’s a saying about people not needing to remember the truth because it never changes, but having trouble forgetting the lies, because one always forgets which one one told.
Why don’t you send that as a reply and see what they do…
And, if you want the story from the Company, have a personnel person send something saying that he’s trying to get a job with your firm (It’s better if you can get Mr. Hauser to sign a Release of Information - Then “Confidentiality” no longer applies).
As it is, might I suggest that Mr. Hauser consider a suit under the UK/Canadian Commenwealth Slander Statutes (Costco would have to prove the allegations are true or simply pay up). At the same time, there are laws in Canada against creating a hostile work environment and against discharging people for practicing their religion.
This could cost Costco a LOT of money…
Mr. Hauser just needs to run into a couple of ambitious attorneys…
An FYI, they were the "Big Box Store that got the land when the Supremem Court here decided that “Public Use” in the 5th Amendment of the Constitution really meant “Public Benefit” in a case in Conneticutt.
A friend of mine (the old guy who owns the $0.99 Stores) was the guy who lost his land (The City Council said it wasn’t producing enough tax revenue), so I do have a built-in bias here. My friend isn’t poor, but he’s not super-rich either.
They were also the ones who got the Cypress City Council to try to Eminent Domain the land the Saddleback Christian Center was on (a federal suit under RELUPA stopped them there).
I may have a bias, but that doesn’t mean that they’re not despicable.
In Christ, Michael
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GoodKnight1443
Guest
Okay lets go with your scenario
Young woman in phone: Hello Sir , I understand you rent your hall for functions.
Man:Yes we do
YW: can my friend and I come take look?"
Man: : That is fine how about Saturday at 11:am?
YW: That’s great see you then…
Saturday morning:
Man: Hello ladies let me show you around…
(exhanges of pleasantries and questions)
YW to herself: Gee what is that crucifix doing on the wall? Is that the Pope over there? Is that a picture of Jesus too? Oh well, never mind it can’t be that important…
Man: So what type of affair are you having?
YW: a celebration (dinner, reception, whatever) does it really matter what she says here? They obviously didnt say gay wedding.
Man: Well you better not be having a lesiban wedding reception. becase then you can forget it. Don’t say I didnt warn you."
Fade out reality.
yeah, that might just happen.
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otm
Guest
To set up the grounds for a confrontation. Are you unaware of the tactics being employed by those promoting the gay agenda? They are not even secretive about it.
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otm
Guest
It is a bit amusing, for lack of a better term, to see how so many people have bought into a “condemn Costco” mode without a thorough examination of what actually happened up there in B.C.
Somewhere midway through the thread comes information that the man fired was a co-worker of one of the lesbians in the party.
This has all the earmarks of a setup. Anyone paying any attention to the progress of the gay agenda should, by now, be aware of their tactics; tactics which they are willing to speak openly.
These people are not all a bunch of goober pickers who fell off the rutabaga truck as it rolled through town. They are smart, they are angry, they are generally better educated and better paid than the aberage working stiff, and they hold a greivance.
In a word, they are out to change society, and last I looked, they were being fairly successful at it.
Just from reading what went on, I would make a large bet (and I don’t bet) that this was a well planned and carried out agenda to embarrass the Church, the Knights, and to make a fool out of the guy.
Reading between the lines, I am left wondering if he could distinguish between the sinner and the sin; whether his attitude at work was one of Christian love for the women, or one of barely concealed disdain and disgust. They set him up - for what? A long running abrasiveness between them and him? Was he quick to let them know how he felt about active practicing homosexuals?
If so, 1) he failed to follow Christ’s teaching of love the sinner, hate the sin;
2) he probably didn’t doo too well at following St. Francis’ maxim of “Preach the Gospel; and if necessary, use words”, and
3) he succeeded in bringing this to a dispute point where Costco got pulled into the fracas also.
It looks like they set him up for the perfect patsy. And before I would condemn Costco, I would want to know a whole lot more - such as what part of this fiasco he helped set up by his conduct.
Folks, the workplace is not the place to start telling people who are practicing sexual activity in a way the Church doesn’t approve of, that they are wrong. People at work need to be treated as if there was no indication whatsoever that you had any idea butter might melt in their mouth; let alone that you have some idea about their sexual predelictions. Let your co-worker know that you don’t get along with them for whatever reason, and you better have your resume polished. Let them know that you don’t approve of their sexual attitudes and activities, and you had better have a long plane ticket and a really good story as to why you are not longer employed, also.
I think Costco got sucker punched in the process of this spat, and they probably had no choice at all - fire the guy who can’t get along with the lesbian (who now is a politically correct personage) and deal with the labor board, or fire the lesbian and get hit with a civil rights lawsuit big enough to buy a fancy house for that lesbian couple, and a couple of cars and some nice vacation and maybe even a little stock.
The corporation is going to take the path of least resistance and get rid of him.
the only thing he might have done is handle it a little more craftily, and fired off a sexual discrimination charge against her and her cohorts; but he would have had to get up waaaay early for that one; and I suspect he wouldn’t be bright enough to manipulate it successfully. Further, he would have had to do it before this pot ever got close to boiling.
Somewhere midway through the thread comes information that the man fired was a co-worker of one of the lesbians in the party.
This has all the earmarks of a setup. Anyone paying any attention to the progress of the gay agenda should, by now, be aware of their tactics; tactics which they are willing to speak openly.
These people are not all a bunch of goober pickers who fell off the rutabaga truck as it rolled through town. They are smart, they are angry, they are generally better educated and better paid than the aberage working stiff, and they hold a greivance.
In a word, they are out to change society, and last I looked, they were being fairly successful at it.
Just from reading what went on, I would make a large bet (and I don’t bet) that this was a well planned and carried out agenda to embarrass the Church, the Knights, and to make a fool out of the guy.
Reading between the lines, I am left wondering if he could distinguish between the sinner and the sin; whether his attitude at work was one of Christian love for the women, or one of barely concealed disdain and disgust. They set him up - for what? A long running abrasiveness between them and him? Was he quick to let them know how he felt about active practicing homosexuals?
If so, 1) he failed to follow Christ’s teaching of love the sinner, hate the sin;
2) he probably didn’t doo too well at following St. Francis’ maxim of “Preach the Gospel; and if necessary, use words”, and
3) he succeeded in bringing this to a dispute point where Costco got pulled into the fracas also.
It looks like they set him up for the perfect patsy. And before I would condemn Costco, I would want to know a whole lot more - such as what part of this fiasco he helped set up by his conduct.
Folks, the workplace is not the place to start telling people who are practicing sexual activity in a way the Church doesn’t approve of, that they are wrong. People at work need to be treated as if there was no indication whatsoever that you had any idea butter might melt in their mouth; let alone that you have some idea about their sexual predelictions. Let your co-worker know that you don’t get along with them for whatever reason, and you better have your resume polished. Let them know that you don’t approve of their sexual attitudes and activities, and you had better have a long plane ticket and a really good story as to why you are not longer employed, also.
I think Costco got sucker punched in the process of this spat, and they probably had no choice at all - fire the guy who can’t get along with the lesbian (who now is a politically correct personage) and deal with the labor board, or fire the lesbian and get hit with a civil rights lawsuit big enough to buy a fancy house for that lesbian couple, and a couple of cars and some nice vacation and maybe even a little stock.
The corporation is going to take the path of least resistance and get rid of him.
the only thing he might have done is handle it a little more craftily, and fired off a sexual discrimination charge against her and her cohorts; but he would have had to get up waaaay early for that one; and I suspect he wouldn’t be bright enough to manipulate it successfully. Further, he would have had to do it before this pot ever got close to boiling.
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Ani_Ibi
Guest
Of course. Anti-Catholicism is the last acceptable prejudice.
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