GoFundMe isn’t going to allow its website to be used any longer to raise funds for Christians being persecuted under the law for things like refusing to photograph a gay wedding or refusing to cater a gay wedding. But they also now say that they can shut down your fundraisers if they are in the defense of ‘claims of hateful acts’, which means even if you aren’t being persecuted under the law for such crimes, they can still shut down your fundraiser.
Bottom line is they can now help aid in the persecution of Christians if they see fit:
CBN NEWS – The crowdfunding website GoFundMe has revised its policy to make it easier to shut down fundraising campaigns the company does not support.
Critics argue the change in the company’s policies targets Christian campaigns such as the fundraisers for Arlene’s Flowers and Sweet Cakes by Melissa.
A campaign started for Melissa Klein of Sweet Cakes by Melissa was shut down last week after raising a little over $100,000. The campaign was started by a friend of the Kleins after an Oregon judge ruled the family owed $135,000 to the lesbian couple whose wedding the bakery refused to cater in 2013.
But GoFundMe removed the campaign, citing its old terms which said, “Campaigns in defense of formal charges of heinous crimes, including violent, hateful, or sexual acts” are removed.
The site claimed the Kleins fell under “the heinous crimes” category.
GoFundMe issued a statement to CNN Money, saying, “The campaign entitled ‘Sweet Cakes by Melissa’ involves formal charges. As such, our team has determined that it was in violation of GoFundMe’s terms and conditions.”
Over the weekend, the company revised their policies to now specify the website bans “campaigns in defense of formal charges or claims of heinous crimes, violent, hateful, sexual or discriminatory acts.”
The Kleins have said they were able to keep approximately $100,000 that had been raised before the campaign was shut down. In the meantime, a new fundraising campaign for the couple has been set up on Samaritan’s Purse’s website.
Once again Franklin Graham fills the gap. That dude is so awesome.