Stripe Takes Away from Christians and Gives to Liberals
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Cancels American Family Association, a Christian nonprofit
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Cancels free-speech platform Gab.com
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Cancels Trump Campaign
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Waives $1m fees in Black Lives Matter support
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Donates to ACLU to fight against President Trumps travel ban from mostly Muslim countries.
The nature of free speech is that ALL speech is allowed. For every opinion there is an opposing opinion you disagree with. If you are a Christian, you believe and may be tempted to repeat Jesus’ words from Matthew 19:4, where he says: “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’” referencing God’s creation of humans. What if Stripe disagrees with your expression of your beliefs that there are only two genders and that human life should be protected from conception? In much of our culture, your Christian beliefs are hateful, and hateful speech is a reason for cancellation.
Stripe Cancels Gab.com
We should all agree that calling for violence is unacceptable, it’s hateful, but is it acceptable as free speech? Who gets to determine what is free speech and what is not? Stripe does, and it has detrimental consequences for those who use their services. “Gab is a social network that champions free speech, individual liberty and the free flow of information online. All are welcome.”[1] Stripe stopped servicing Gab.com in the wake of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting in October 2018. The shooter, Robert Bowers, was a Gab user who had posted anti-Semitic content and threats on the platform before carrying out the attack, which resulted in the deaths of 11 people. In response to the shooting, Stripe and PayPal decided to cancel their contract with Gab. Gab reported a loss of 80% of its subscription revenue.[2]
No one will defend the actions of Robert Bowers, but no one should defend the actions of Stripe and PayPal either. These companies looked for the flimsiest of reasons to stop payment processing for a legally run and operated company because they disagreed with their willingness to support free speech. Gab.com suffered immense damage. Stripe holds the same power over Christian, pro-life businesses who use them for processing.
[1] https://gab.com/about/press
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gab_%28social_network%29
US Army Labeling Pro-Life Organizations and Individuals as Terrorists
Is it far-fetched to believe our government will turn on free speech to the point of making statements from the Bible illegal? Consider the July 2024 anti-terrorism briefing held at US Army base, Ft. Bragg (Liberty), North Carolina where they labeled the National Right to Life, Operation Rescue and pro-life individuals as terrorist groups.[1] Take a moment to read this slide.
[1] https://www.operationrescue.org/archives/response-to-fort-liberty-training-claiming-operation-rescue-is-a-terrorist-group/
The mislabeling of pro-life organizations as terrorists, including Operation Rescue, in an anti-terrorism briefing at Fort Liberty has sparked significant controversy and concern. This mislabeling not only tarnishes the reputation and credibility of Operation Rescue but also raises serious legal and ethical implications.
Implications for Operation Rescue
The mislabeling of pro-life organizations as terrorists has significant implications for their work. Firstly, it damages their reputation and credibility by associating them with terrorism, despite their history of peaceful and non-violent intervention. This can lead to public mistrust and hinder their ability to carry out their advocacy work effectively. Secondly, the legal and ethical implications of this situation are profound. The inclusion of pro-life organizations in the training material appears to serve a political agenda, potentially violating the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878. This raises concerns about the misuse of anti-terrorism measures for partisan purposes and the potential infringement of civil liberties. Operation Rescue’s demand for an answer from Fort Liberty after their investigation is crucial to ensuring accountability and preventing such mislabeling in the future.
Undermining Free Speech and Advocacy
The mislabeling of pro-life organizations as terrorists not only damages their reputation but also undermines the fundamental principles of free speech and peaceful advocacy. By associating these organizations with terrorism, it creates a chilling effect on their ability to express their views and engage in lawful activities. This not only violates their rights but also sets a dangerous precedent for the misuse of anti-terrorism measures to suppress dissenting voices and legitimate activism.
Integrity of Anti-Terrorism Efforts
Furthermore, the mislabeling of pro-life organizations as terrorists raises questions about the objectivity and integrity of anti-terrorism efforts. It suggests a politicization of counterterrorism measures, where organizations with differing ideological stances are targeted for discriminatory treatment. This erodes public trust in the fairness and impartiality of law enforcement and undermines the effectiveness of genuine counterterrorism efforts by diverting resources and attention away from legitimate threats.
Demand for Accountability and Transparency
The demand for accountability and transparency from Fort Liberty is not just a matter of addressing past mislabeling but also a crucial step in upholding the principles of justice and fairness. It is essential to ensure that anti-terrorism measures are not misused for political purposes and that the rights of individuals and organizations to engage in lawful activities are respected and protected.
Preventing Future Incidents
In light of the mislabeling of pro-life organizations as terrorists, it is imperative for Fort Liberty to conduct a thorough review of its training materials and procedures to prevent similar incidents in the future. This includes implementing safeguards to prevent the inclusion of organizations based on ideological biases and ensuring that counterterrorism efforts remain focused on genuine threats to national security. Additionally, there should be a commitment to engaging in open dialogue with affected organizations to address concerns and rebuild trust in the integrity of anti-terrorism initiatives.
Safeguarding Principles
The mislabeling of pro-life organizations as terrorists at Fort Liberty serves as a stark reminder of the potential consequences of unchecked bias and politicization in the realm of national security. It underscores the need for vigilance in safeguarding the principles of fairness, accountability, and respect for civil liberties in the implementation of anti-terrorism measures. Operation Rescue’s demand for accountability is not just a call for redress of past grievances but a vital assertion of the fundamental rights of all organizations to operate free from unwarranted and unjustified targeting.
It seems illogical for Christians to give businesses like Stripe and PayPal their money when they stand for issues opposite of the Christian worldview and when these Christian businesses are at risk of damage by cancellation.
Stripe Cancels American Family Association, a Christian nonprofit [1]
Ironically, the American Family Association, who knows what secular companies stand for, became the victim of corporate activism when they were canceled by Stripe. According the announcement, “AFA is breaking the mold by using shares in Apple, and also banks they own, to oppose the pernicious practices of deplatforming and/or debanking Christian and conservative customers.” Their vision is, “to be a leading organization in biblical worldview training for cultural transformation.” Stripe doesn’t like the spreading of the Biblical worldview.
[1] https://omny.fm/shows/meeting-of-minds/christian-boycott-leader-shifts-to-corporate-engag
Stripe Cancels Trump Campaign
Stripe sits as judge and jury on your beliefs. Stripe stopped processing for the Trump campaign after the January 6, 2021 protest. If you try to summarize Stripe’s logic, it would distill to this; the protest was in support of Trump, therefore we will not work for the Trump campaign.
Stripe Financially Supports Radical Left Organizations, ACLU and Black Lives Matter
When wondering what Stripe does believe, and what ideas they will give the benefit of the doubt, you can look to where they have put their money.
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“The company waived $1 million in fees from racial justice organizations, including some funds used to bail out protesters from the Black Lives Matter protests.
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The co-founders donated directly to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to fight former President Trump’s travel ban on predominantly Muslim countries.
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The company is a member of the MCCA, indicating its focus on recruiting, retaining, and promoting employees based on race.”[1]
[1] Stripe Risk Report. High Risk. 1792 Exchange. Home – 1792 Exchange