Home
/
RELIGION & LIBERTY ONLINE
/
A Testimony of Conscience and Conviction in the Workplace
A Testimony of Conscience and Conviction in the Workplace
Jan 15, 2026 11:51 AM

Hands On Originals is a small pany in Lexington, Kentucky, that, up until recently, had very few problems when they declined to print a certain message.

Last year, however, the owner, Blaine Adamson, was found guilty of discrimination by a Lexington human mission for refusing to print T-shirts for a local gay pride festival. missioners ordered that Adamson must violate his conscience, and further, must participate in diversity training to be conducted by mission.

Fortunately, this story has a happier ending than that of the baker and florist, as the Fayette Circuit Court ended up reversing mission’s decision. “It is their constitutional right to hold dearly and to not pelled to be part of an advocacy message opposed to their sincerely held Christian beliefs,” Judge James Ishmael wrote in his decision.

Watch below for more of Blaine’s testimony:

When this first happened and it hit the papers, businesses began to pull their business from us. Right and left we were losing customers. There came a point where I was so broken. I went home, I just laid in bed with lights out and began to cry out to the Lord, and just say, “God, I will stand no matter what the cost will be.” Because we are the ones at the end of the day that have to print that on a shirt, and it speaks a message the second es off the press. And for me, I’m accountable to that. I’m accountable to that first to God —of what I put on a shirt to promote.

But we did wrestle with the reality in this that we may lose our business…Why would I as a business owner —who, our business has grown year after year — want to bring this on pany? If anything, I would want to stay as far away from it as possible. But there is a cost. There is something that calls out to me that says, “I’ve got to speak truth.”

HT Joseph Williams

Comments
Welcome to mreligion comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
RELIGION & LIBERTY ONLINE
Does capitalism reduce violence?
It’s been said before, but it’s certainly worth saying again. Not only does the free market lead to material wealth, but it reduces violence. On a recent episode of the podcast “Question of the Day,” co-host Stephen Dubner reads a question from a listener: Why haven’t humans evolved as a species away from aggression? Dubner and James Altucher deal with the question in a rather roundabout way. Altucher points out that, really, aggression has dropped for as long as we’ve...
What Christians Should Know About Crony Capitalism
Note: This is the latest entry in the Acton blog series, “What Christians Should Know About Economics.” For other entries inthe series seethis post. The Term:Crony capitalism (sometimes referred to as cronyism or corporatism) What it means:Crony capitalism is a general term for the range of activities in which particular individuals or businesses in a market economy receive government-granted privileges over their customers petitors. Why it Matters: For as long as there have been government officials, there have been economic...
Property Rights Vital for Empowering the Poor
On Jan. 27, Acton’s Rome office sponsored a presentation of The International Property Rights Index at the Dominican-run Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas. The private seminar was a premier event in Rome for the index’s publisher, introducing data and case studies sampled from 129 industrialized and developing nations. It was attended by some 40 leveraged opinion makers from the ranks of legal, political, academic and religious sectors. Speakers included the university’s dean of social sciences, Fr. Alejandro Crosthwaite, who...
Young Socialist Hearts, Old Conservative Heads, and Correctly Attributed Quotes
In the recent Iowa Caucus, young Democratsfavored the socialist Bernie Sanders by a margin of six to one, while older voters went overwhelmingly for the more traditionally progressive Hillary Clinton. The support of an old socialist by young voters and socialism should remind us of that old quote . . . you know the one, the one by . . . Churchill? When es to citing famous quotations, a good rule of thumb is to attribute any unknown saying either...
Unemployment as Economic-Spiritual Indicator — January 2016 Report
Series Note: Jobs are one of the most important aspects of a morally functioning economy. They help us serve the needs of our neighbors and lead to human flourishing both for the individual and munities. Conversely, not having a job can adversely affect spiritual and psychological well-being of individuals and families. Because unemployment is a spiritual problem, Christians in America need to understand and be aware of the monthly data on employment. Each month highlight the latest numbers we need...
No, Jesus was not a socialist
The resurgence of socialism in America, especially among the young, seems to be based on a widespread form of wishful thinking and historical ignorance. Most people who support Bernie Sanders, for instance, do not realize that most of his ideas have been tried already—and discarded as unworkable. Similarly, many Christians who support Sanders don’t realize that for centuries socialism has been considered patible with Christianity.Since the mid-1800s every Catholic pontiff—from Pius IX to Benedict XVI—has forthrightly condemned socialism. Protestants don’t...
Plans to Prosper? The Forgotten Truth of Jeremiah 29
For many evangelicals, 2 Chronicles 7:14 has e a predictable refrain for run-of-the-mill civil religion, supposedly offering thepromise of national blessing in exchange for political purity. “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” If the nation returns to golden days of godliness, we are told, blessings...
A Lesson in Capitalism from JS Bach and a Penniless Swami
What do we care about? How does the economic system affect our purpose in life? How can it enhance our purpose? Those are the questions Arthur Brooks, president of the American Enterprise Institute, tackles in his presentation before the Aspen Institute. ...
The 7 Best Super Bowl Commercials About Vocation and Stewardship
Contrary to the trite assertion made every year by people who don’t know how to appreciate football, it is not really true that mercials the best thing about the Super Bowl (at least not always). Sure, it may seem that way because the television viewer is mercials than actual game play (in an average game, theratio mercials to playing time is seven to one). The reality, though, is that most of mercials aren’t all that memorable. Only a few stand...
Mini-Grants available for course development and faculty scholarship
American and Canadian college faculty: Acton is accepting proposals for mini-grants on free market economics. If you’re a professor or you know of a professor teaching in the United States or Canada, be sure to visit the Mini-Grants page. The deadline to turn in proposals is March 31, 2016 and grants can range from $1,000 to $10,000. Acton is accepting applications for proposals in course development and faculty scholarship. Interested in applying, but not sure how to get started? Here...
Related Classification
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.mreligion.com All Rights Reserved